No Eiffel Tower flower power

It seems that Eiffel Tower will not get its makeover.

After reports about Serero Architects winning the bid to temporarily redesign the Eiffel Tower’s viewing platform, The Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel said that it had never solicited a redesign and that it envisaged no changes to the tower’s appearance.

David Serero, principal of Serero Architects, now says that his firm’s proposal was merely a spontaneous design. I was neither in response to a design competition nor a project contracted by the tower's management; the architectural firm had merely put pictures of the proposed project on its website and the media jumped all over it, assuming it was a fixed deal.

Recourse

Terminal 5 shambles continue

The chaos at London Heathrow Terminal 5 seems to carry on today.

British Airways cancelled a fifth of its flights from Heathrow's Terminal 5 this morning as it admitted the £4.3billion facility was not ready to be opened.

The airline continues to offer apologies. It has set up an information line for passengers: 0800 727 800 and service updates are available at www.ba.com.

I think today’s Metro summed this national embarrassment very well with a question; ‘Why can’t BA and BAA get you from A to B without A BA**S-UP?’

Picture: Daily Mail

Mobiles on airplanes are OK

Ofcom has given the go ahead to mobiles on UK-registered airplanes, although subjected to approval by both the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Civil Aviation Authority in the UK.

Ofcom also said that when people received a call in-flight, the cost would be a matter between them and their mobile operator – however they added that they were, "Concerned about this issue as tariffs may well be high relative to other mobile communication services and there is a danger that consumers will receive unexpectedly high bills."

Satellite comms vendor Inmarsat welcomed the decision since it currently provides inflight communications for government and private users – "Much of the required infrastructure for inflight mobile phone use is already in place," added Inmarsat.

Gordon Ramsay to open hotel in London

The celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay is opening a boutique hotel and restaurant in Camden, North London, in May.

It will be located in York and Albany pub in Parkway, Camden Town, which opened in 1827 and was designed and built by Regent’s Park architect John Nash and named after his friend the Duke of York and Albany.

The venue will be most likely run by one of Gordon Ramsay protégés, Angela Hartnett, formerly head chef at Mayfair hotel’s The Connaught.

“It’s Angela Hartnett’s project,” said a spokeswoman for the project. “It’s owned by Gordon Ramsay’s group but it’s very much Angela who’s taking it under her wing.”

Paris bargains - free museum admissions

Until June 30th 2008, some of the Paris best museums will be admission free.

• Musée Guimet - National Museum of Asian Art
• Musée Cluny - National Museum of the Middle Ages
• Musée des Antiquités Nationales de Saint-Germain-en-Laye - National Museum of Archeology
• Musée National de la Renaissance d'Ecouen - Everything from Renaissance sculpture and paintings to furniture
• Musée des Arts et Metiers - Houses the collection of the National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts, which was founded to preserve scientific instruments and inventions
• Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace - National Museum of Air and Space

Also, four other famous Paris museums are opening their doors free to students aged 18-25, with one night a week;

• Centre Pompidou - Wednesday nights
• Musée d'Orsay Thursday nights
• Louvre Friday nights
• Musee du Quai Branly Saturday nights

Can I have ...

Description: Can I have...
Location: Vietnam
Credit: 'oooo'
Source

Celebrity Cruises expand in Europe

Celebrity Cruises are expanding their European cruise programme with new departure ports in Southampton and Harwich, beside Amsterdam, Barcelona, Rome and Venice.

Five ships, including the yet to be delivered Celebrity Equinox and Solstice, will visit 76 ports in 29 countries, including overnight stays in eight cities. The new ports of call will include a trip up the River Scheldt to Antwerp, Ashdod and Haifa in Israel, La Spezia and Portofino in Italy.

KLM pilot misses new Hyderabad airport

One would thing that all that state of the art equipment on board of airplanes should make it impossible for pilot to miss the arrival port, but then one would be mistaken.

In a slip-up barely hours after the Shamshabad airport opened for business, a KLM flight from Amsterdam, which was supposed to land at Hyderabad, skipped the airport and flew across the country — first to Delhi, and then to Mumbai.

Apparently, the pilot knew nothing about the new airport and was flying towards Begumpet only to be told that the facility had been shut. He was directed to Shamshabad, to which the pilot asked the air traffic control: "Shamshabad? What’s that?" The pilot then flew to Delhi, from where, after being refused permission to land, he took the plane to Mumbai.

Next time, give a guy GPS system, I heard TomTom is good.

Atlantic Alliance to promote west coast of Europe

Fifteen ports from seven countries on Europe’s West Coast have joint their forces in Atlantic Alliance to launch a campaign to promote themselves as the new cruise destinations.

“Europe’s West Coast is a treasure trove for travellers seeking exclusive experiences beyond what has become conventional luxury,” said Dirk Moldenhauer Managing Director, Hamburg Cruise Center and Managing Director of the Atlantic Alliance, at Seatrade 2008.

The Atlantic Alliance expects more ports and tourism boars to join existing members; Hamburg and Bremerhaven - Germany; Ijmuiden, Amsterdam, and Rotterdam - The Netherlands, Antwerp – Belgium, Cherbourg, St. Malo, Brest, Nantes, La Rochelle, and Bordeaux - France, Santander and Vigo - Spain and Lisbon – Portugal.

Eiffel flower – Eiffel Tower decoration for its 120th anniversary

Next year Eiffel Tower will celebrate its 120th anniversary. To commemorate the occasion Eiffel Tower will have a bit of a makeover.

Serero Architects of Paris have won the open competition to redesign the structure's public viewing platform and reception areas. The winning design will double the capacity of the public viewing area and does not require any modification of the existing structure.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Société d'exploitation de la Tour Eiffel explained that the plan to restructure the top of the tower aims to increase the quality of access. Average waiting times for the tower's elevators currently run at more than an hour at peak times.

Source and pictures: TrendHunter

The ugliest hotel 6 - Museumotel, France

Thanks to my mate Kirka, I have another contender for the ugliest hotel in the world. Thanks!

Museumotel in the region of Vosges, France is a group of bubble like shaped houses, which were lately renovated and now reopened to public.
Built in late 1960, the Museumotel was designed by Pascal Hausermann, whose ambition was to create practical, cheap residences, very different from the big grey concrete city districts.

Complex offers 6 small and 3 large bubble houses, all with shower rooms and internet access for an average price of €60.

While I can applaud the enthusiasts who restored the hotel to its former glory, I still cannot believe how the Museumotel managed to get into “The 1000 most beautiful hotels in Europe”… maybe it is some hobbit conspiracy (?!)

Happy Easter!

According to Association of British Travel Agent, over two million Britons will be going on holiday this Easter.

Justin Fleming, president of ABTA, said: "The early Easter has given our customers the extra option of heading to the slopes as well as topping up their tans, and the extended peak period has also seen a flattening out of prices."

As a result, holidaymakers may be able to take advantage of the number of "bargains" available at the moment, he added.

Saudi Arabia opens its first women-only hotel

The first women-only hotel opened this Wednesday in Riyadh, the capitol of Saudi Arabia.

"Inside this physical structure, we are all women. We even have bell-women. We are women-owned, women-managed and women-run, from our IT engineer to our electrical engineer," says Executive Director Lorraine Coutinho.

"This is meeting a very big demand. There are women's hotels all over the world, from Berlin to the United States to everywhere," she said.

According to Luthan Hotel & Spa website:

Luthan means “escape”, at the spa we create a world that offers you refuge from the pressures of daily life.

Luthan has 25 luxurious individually designed suites and bedrooms for those who wish to extend their day with a weekend stay at this privately owned Boutique Hotel.The rooms are an extension of the spa where treatments can be carried out en suite on request.

A wide choice of leisure activities is available for all guests to enjoy. Guests to the Luthan Hotel can also attend the regular programme of excercise classes,where a varying choice from Aerobics to Yoga are available.

From the moment you step in our doors your senses will be awakened. A spa treatment which is uniquely yours, that will restore your peace of mind. Our first consideration is your personal comfort and relaxation. This reassurance never leaves us which is why a hands on treatment is so overpowering to the body.

At Luthan we cater to all your senses, the perfect urban retreat.

A380 superjumbo lands in Heathrow

The world's biggest passenger plane, the Airbus A380 superjumbo, has touched down at Heathrow after its first commercial flight to Europe.

The 471 passengers applauded loudly on landing at the west London airport which had spent over £100 million to accommodate the jet which had taken off 14 hours earlier from Singapore's Changi airport.

The Dubai-based carrier Emirates will start A380 services to Heathrow in December and Australian carrier Qantas is also expected to use the superjumbo to fly to London.

In the future, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic will be flying the A380 at Heathrow, where both Terminal 3 and the new £4.3 billion Terminal 5 can take the new aircraft.

All of those on board were given a certificate with their names on to mark the event, with intrepid traveller Mark Barden, 45, from Southampton possibly the most worthy recipient.

Mr Barden, a male nurse, flew out to Singapore to be on the inaugural flight. After just eight hours in the Far East, he was then flying back for his third A380 trip in two days and was even contemplating going in to work on Thursday.

And Roger and Sue Simpson from Fowey, Cornwall, had expected to be on a conventional jumbo jet but found to their pleasure that their flight had been earmarked as the inaugural A380 European run.

Mr Simpson, 56, a retired environmental manager, said: "This plane is a step in the right direction. It's quiet, less-polluting and roomy."

Passengers sat in three classes - first, which has 12 luxury suites with 23-inch TV and cinema screens and double beds; business, where 60 people can enjoy flat-bed sleeping; and economy where nearly 400 passengers have seat-back screens and more room than rival aircrafts.

The aircraft's huge wings are manufactured in Broughton, North Wales, and Filton, Bristol, while the superjumbo is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines.

Source: msn news UK

Dubai to launch cheap airline

Dubai’s government is to establish a low-cost airline, which will be managed by the biggest Arab airline Emirates.

Dubai is also spending $33 billion to build what it intends to be the world's largest airport at Jebel Ali in the south of the emirate. The six-runway al-Maktoum International Airport will be 10 times the size of Dubai's existing airport and bigger by area than London's Heathrow and Chicago's O'Hare airports combined when completed in 2012.

Why you should learn the foreign languages...

Description: Orange Stall
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Credit: Dan Harris
Source

London Heathrow Terminal 5 - quick facts

Today, Her Majesty the Queen will officially open controversial London Heathrow Terminal 5, which will open its door to the passengers on March 27.

Some quick facts about Terminal 5:

• Cost: £4.5bn
• Construction: 7,5 years, 100 million man hours
• Aircraft stands: 50, to be increased to 60 by 2010
• Annual passengers traffic: 30 million
• Car park spaces: 3,800
• Self service check-in kiosks: 96
• Standard check-in desks: 54
• Security lanes: 20
• Bags processed per hour: 12,000
• Lifts: 192
• Escalators: 105
• Seats: 9,140 (excluding catering outlets)
• Toilet blocks: 112
• Toilets: 800
• Baby change facilities: 32
• Retail units: 112, including Cartier, Caviar House, Boss, Bally, Harrods, Fortnum & Mason and Tie Rack (including 25 food and drink outlets)
• Children's play areas: 3 (for toddlers to 7 year olds)
• Designed :by Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners

It is a big shopping mall really ;)

American Airlines moves from Gatwick to Heathrow

After 26 years at London Gatwick Airport, the American Airlines are moving to London Heathrow.

The American Airlines’ planning senior vice-president Henry Joyner said: "We want to strengthen our competitive position within the new open skies regime, so it makes sense to focus our efforts in London at Heathrow.

"These changes do not impact the total number of American flights to and from London. We'll operate up to 18 daily departures to Heathrow this summer from seven US airports."


The last American Airline service from Gatwick will be will be a Dallas/Fort Worth connection on April 13.

There is a skeleton in you luggage!

The Munich baggage control handlers had a quite a surprise when during a routine luggage scan, one of the bags showed human skeleton sealed in plastic bag.

After some investigation, the airport police stopped for questioning the 62 year old woman and her friend. As it turned out, travelling from Brazil to Italy woman was fulfilling the last wish of her brother, who died 11 years ago in Sao Paulo, Brazil - to be buried in Italy.

After producing appropriate documentation from Brazilian authorities, the travelers were sent on their way to Naples.

Police spokesman Christian Maier said: "Airport security spotted the skull and bones when the suitcase was put through the x-ray machine.

"We questioned the women and they produced a valid death certificate showing he had died 11 years ago of natural causes.

"As they were not violating any German laws they were allowed to continue their journey to Italy."

Creepy or what?!

Bookreading service in London hotel

During London Book Fair, starting next week, the new Andaz Liverpool Street hotel in London will offer its guests "reader-in-residence," who will be available to read aloud to them in their rooms.

Andaz Liverpool Street hotel "reader-in-residence” event is one of the series to promote hotels focus on personality. There are plans for on-site performance by the Real Hamlet Company.

UK domestic flights passengers to be fingerprinted on Heathrow’s Terminal 5

From next month all passengers boarding flights from Heathrow’s Terminal 5 will be fingerprinted.

Heathrow’s Terminal 5 will accommodate yearly for 4 million domestic passengers. To make sure the same person who checked in boards the airplane, all passengers will our fingerprints taken, as well as being photographed, when they check in and then the procedure will be repeated while boarding.

BAA, the Heathrow’s owner, sees biometric security check as a way to prevent criminals, terrorists and illegal immigrants trying to bypass border controls and assures all biometric data will be destroyed after 24 hours and will not be passed on to the police.

If biometric is to be used to prevent immigrants, how come it is to be implemented on domestic flights terminal? Even security mad U.S. does not fingerprint their domestic passengers.

The most luxurious train in the world - Beijing to Lhasa

China is launching "the most luxurious train in the world" to Tibet's capital, Lhasa on September 1.

The Tangula Express will run regular trips from Beijing to Lhasa, traversing the world's highest railway through the spectacular scenery of Tibet.

"The interior of the train will be decorated according to the standards of a five-star hotel, making it the most luxurious train in the world," said Zhu Mingrui, general manager of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway Corporation.

"Such a train can only seat 96 passengers. The fare would be about 20 times the normal price(2,000 Yuan - £180) and also much more than an airline ticket," he said.

Each of three trains will have 12 passenger cars, two dining cars and a sightseeing car. Each passenger car will have four 10-square-metre suites featuring a double bed, a living room and bathing facilities to accommodate its guest during this 5 days long journey.

Although Chinese authorities present this 1142-km railway as an important means in modernising and developing Tibet, critics warn against flooding Tibet with Chinese Han majority, which may lead to destruction of the local culture and acceleration of environmental degradation of the region

Terror tourism - Law Enforcement trip to Israel

Not a lot of things can really stunt me, but when I read about “terror tourism” I just felt… weird. Who in the right mind would offer tours like these and who would actually take a part in them?

The latest tour is themed “Law Enforcement trip to Israel”. It is all inclusive bus tour through the Holy Land, with exclusive access to Shin Bet, Mossad, military bases and more. The itinerary promises "observation of a security trial of Hamas terrorists" and briefings on "the realities of Israel's policy of targeted killings".

"We started organizing this [terror tours] a few years ago when tourism dropped off," said Avi Leitner, a lawyer with Shurat HaDin Israel Law Center, an Israeli organization that sues terrorist organizations and countries on behalf of victims of terror attacks.

The “Law Enforcement trip to Israel” tour is different to previous trips organized by Shurat HaDin. In the past the terror tours were aimed at the regular tourist, featuring evening cruises, cookouts, and "luxurious bus transportation. The “Law Enforcement trip to Israel” tour is organized with a American homeland-security firm and is aimed primarily at law enforcement, therefore groups are dominated by police officers, homeland-security officers and bounty hunters.

So here you go, Israel has its own theme park… the terror one.

Resource

Philippines barres Dutch tourist for being rude.

The Dutch woman, Jenifer Sharmila Kalka, 42 has been barred by Philippine authorities from entering the country after she allegedly insulted the country's residents.

According to the officials at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, Ms Kafka refused to answer standard set of questions from immigration and became abusive when asked to fill in a disembarkation form.

"You Filipinos are effing lazy," she allegedly said. "That is why you are poor."

The rude tourist was then put on the next available flight to her port of origin.

"A foreign tourist who exhibits arrogance and rude behavior upon his arrival in the Philippines should be turned back right away for he does not deserve the hospitality of our country and people," he Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan.

What is a small favour between the friends?

Jackie Chan may be soon promoting Australia to Chinese tourist as a favour to his long time buddy Kevin Rudd – Australia Prime Minister.

"I've known Kevin for a few years," Chan said yesterday. "Last night before he left, I said whenever he calls, I'll be there." According to Chan they discussed the environment, Chinese-Australian relations and "some secret I cannot say yet".

Bargain holidays in Bulgaria

According to new holiday survey, Bulgaria offers Britons the best bargains, with pint of lager for just 49p, Big Mac for £1 and three-course meal for £7.

Sun, golden sand beaches and one of the friendliest people on Earth are free.

American Airlines cross Atlantic with just five people on board.

The American Airlines Boeing 777, able to carry 245 passengers on board, made a nine-hour journey from Chicago to Heathrow with just five passengers on board, using usual 22,000 gallons of fuel. It is 4,400 gallons per passenger.

Richard Dyer, of Friends of the Earth, said: "Flying a virtually empty plane is an obscene waste of fuel.

"Through no fault of their own, each passenger's carbon footprint for this flight is about 45 times what it would have been if the plane had been full."

To sum up the equivalent of this huge carbon footprint a car would have to travel 123,000 miles or the average British household would use up its five years gas and electricity supplies.

So much for green initiatives.

Perfect customer service

Description: Irani cafe in Hyderabad, India
Location: Hyderabad, India
Credit: Rajat Gupta
Source

Dubai looks into the future with Rem Koolhaas concept

Dubai is leading the world in architectural cutting edge design and technology. They already have three artificial island developments, two palm shaped and one made of small islets creating archipelago formed as the continents of the world. It seems Dubai will push boundaries even further.

12 years ago the Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas published ‘The Generic City’ essay in which he envisioned a fractal metropolis of repeatedly shaped buildings. The ‘generic city’ has no architecture as such, it does not posses its own history, except the one of the region and is not planned. It just emerges. Therefore, in the conclusion; everyone there is a tourist and hotels offer everything one may need – there is no reason to leave.

And now, Rem Koolhaas’ vision may be realised in the development of the 1.5-billion-square-foot Waterfront City in Dubai. The island will form perfect square to highlight its isolation. The tallest skyscrapers will be built along the southern edge to shield the ‘city’ from the blazing sun. All these sharp edges will be balanced by the gigantic sphere placed at the water’s edge.

The whole concept is very practical and logical. Not a bad response to ‘Bilbao syndrome’, not bad at all.

Superb 360° view of a A380 flight deck

Probably everyone interested in air travel already heard about A380, but how many people acutely saw its cockpit? Here is your chance to admire true masterpiece of technology, the magnificent 360° view of a A380 flight deck. Truly worth a look.

Know your Cairngorms from your Argyll

The VisitScotland website visitors were puzzled when trying to figure out the mountain showed on the photograph in the Perfect Day promotional competition. The photograph was labelled Aviemore and the Cairngorms and showed trees outlined by a mist with snowy peaks towering above them. As it turned out, the snap was taken at Loch Tulla, just outside Bridge of Orchy, not in the Cairngorms.

Dr Watson, Cairngorm ecology expert, said: "It just obviously wasn't in the Cairngorms. I know these hills very well, I've been going there since I was a boy and I wrote the Scottish Mountaineering Club's district guide to the Cairngorms. It definitely wasn't the Cairngorms.

"Anyone can make a mistake but it's surprising that a body like that would not find it easy to find good photographs of the Cairngorms."

VisitScotland described the gaffe as an "honest mistake", caused by agency provided the image and is now looking to improve their process of image selection.

Resource: BBC News

The fake Beijing 2008 Olympics tickets

How many of you watched The Fake Trade on C4 few days ago? It portrayed quite a scary picture, and I am not talking about designer labels but the medication and eggs.

It is not surprising then, that the fake Beijing 2008 Olympics ticketing sites are popping out everywhere. Imitating official website the fake sites make it even more difficult to tell the difference. Which one of these two would you say is fake; Beijing Olympics tickets and Beijing 2008 tickets ? The second one, although they look pretty similar.

The Beijing Olympics are just five months away. Most tickets are long gone, so be very careful when seeing a “bargain”. If it is too good to be true, it most likely is.

Dogs in fight with bedbugs

Dogs are the latest secret weapon in fight with bedbugs. Radar the beagle and Taz the Australian kelpie are part of a crack team of sniffer dogs sweeping apartments and hotel rooms across New York to combat bedbugs.

"We are inundated with requests from hotels and apartment owners," said Carl Massicott, the mastermind behind Advanced K9 Detectives. "A dog's nose is cutting-edge technology."

Both dogs were rescued from shelters and went through police dogs’ style training. They are thorough and efficient and able to check the room in less than two minutes.

As the old saying goes – dog is a man’s best friend.

Resource: NY Daily News

Your weight in gold, so get fit

The Bioferienhotel Mandler's Landhaus hotel in Austrian Alps has quite a new idea about their pricing system – it charges per pound of flesh – literally. The rates at this all organic food hotel are determinated on arrival, when hotel guests are "weighted-in" at reception; the skinnier you are, the smaller a rate.

“It is not only encouraging health and weight awareness, it also stimulates people to do more fitness training,” a hotel spokesman said.

Source: Times Online

Local customs – Italy

Private to stay private as Italy's Court of Appeal outlawed men from scratching their crotches in public. Superstitious Italian men often hold or touch their privates for good luck when they see a hearse or to ward off bad luck - the equivalent of touching wood in Britain.

Oopsa-Fiji

It seems Mr Brown is in trouble over the Fiji campaign. Apparently, someone forgot to inform Mr Brown that Fiji is ruled by a Military Dictatorship. Participation of the Prime Minister in a commercial advertising looks silly enough, but for a democratic leader to endorse military regime is just plain nonsense!

According to Downing Street, it is all a misunderstanding and the artwork was not cleared at the correct level. One has to wonder though, what would be appropriate artwork to highlight "military junta"?

Unsurprisingly, the Fiji Visitors Bureau is very happy over the fantastic media exposure and says the bookings are on the increase.