Tagged With "Easterners and Westerners"
Comment
Re: Auschwitz Concentration Camp, Poland. The infamous 'Arbeit macht frei' sign at the entrance
I have not been to Auschwitz but have been to some in Western Europe such as Dachau, Bergen-Belsen and Buchenwald. It is an experience like no other. The atmosphere is oppressive and dark. It is almost like nature knows these are sites of unspeakable horror and you can sense it. When we went to Dachau it was a sunny day walking to the camp but once inside it seemed like everything clouded over and there was an absence of the birds singing that we heard outside the camp.
Comment
Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Oct 20, 2015: Sicilian Fiat
These cute little Fiats were only 633cc and air cooled. But the tiny little Fiat engines was banned from western Europe for their excessive emissions.
Comment
Re: Where Gumbo Was #12. Brasov, Romania
i searched some info about Bela Lugosi and he was born in Lugoj county but for what i know this city is not in Transylvania, is it in Banat, which is a western part of Romania
Comment
Re: Thousands of flights cancelled
Winter has yet to arrive in Western Europe. While the Jetstream continues to push warm air up from the Caribbean it will continue to be frost free.
Comment
Re: The "Eiffel Tour" Only Starts with the Tour Eiffel
I'm personally acquainted with one of Brunel's railway bridges, the Gatehampton Bridge over the Thames in Berkshire, England. I was advised by my Thames Path guidebook that I was approaching it. There was a strategically placed bench in a meadow where I sat, had a snack and looked at it from a distance for a bit before walking under it. Not at all knowledgeable, or even much interested, in bridges I tried to get at least a glimpse of what the guide meant when it said "one of Brunel's Great...
Comment
Re: Sri Lanka: A Land Like No Other. (Part 5) The Elephants of Pinnawala
Thanks, PortMoresby! And we've not even been to the sacred tooth relic in Kandy, the medieval ruins of Polonnaruwa, the beautiful hill country filled with tea plantations and "The World's End", a wildlife safari at Yala National Park, nor any of the nice beaches (but keep reading -- reports on these are coming). Sri Lanka is a great destination, especially now that the civil war is over. I was doubly lucky to not only be able to visit a dear friend there but to have time to leisurely explore...
Comment
Re: The Tulou of Fujian Province
These are living communities. A few have been abandoned in favor of apartment blocks and are melting back into the earth, as mud-brick construction does, but most of the thousands scattered through the hills of the province continue to be villages in themselves, enjoyed and maintained by the Hakka communities that occupy them. A few of the largest individual tulous and clusters have become tourist attractions but if you hurry you'll likely be, as I was, one of the only western tourists for ...
Comment
Re: United's Award Chart: Premium Award Cost Goes UP
I think you'll find reward trips from the Western USA are harder to get for European travel than from the East coast. But if your schedule is flexible, you could be lucky.
Comment
Re: Wandering In and Around Split
Thanks for this! A real reminder of how artificial our categories (Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Mediterranean, etc.) seem when we see how much in common they share!
Comment
Re: Japan to get 10 more robot-staffed hotels
While it seems a novelty, it is also a necessity. Japan has an imploding population and doesn't have enough workers to fill all its job requirements. Rather than import foreigners to do the work (aside from key spots like education), as the western countries are doing, they have decided to cope in their own way which includes more automation and increased use of robotics. They prefer to retain their nationality and culture more than they want the extra hands. It will be interesting to see...
Comment
Re: Route 66 - Pasadena to Needles
The bottle tree ranch is so awesome! I love the whimsical western town charm - I hope I'll get to do a road trip like that one day.
Comment
Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo (#77)
More specifically, I think the first picture shows Toronto Island Airfield, and the second the mainland end of the Western Channel.
Comment
Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo, #60
Looks like a western US clunky WPA construction. Need to work on tree ID. Drat can't decipher flag(s?).
Comment
Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo? #56
Some of the headgear on those guys looks kind of "western." Could this be somewhere in western U.S.?
Comment
Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo? #56
This one baffles me too. In the corner of the first picture, the architecture looks Tibetan. But the rest? No. Looks like the building is crushing human figures or Western civilization. Hell realms. You were in Kathmandu. How far did you travel? Hmm? Bangkok? No. Lhasa? Certainly must have changed since I was last there. OK. I give up. Tell us, please. :-)
Reply
Re: Help with mobile phone for Morocco
One more thought. Think long term. If you're likely to travel again and might need a phone again, buying one will be even more cost effective. And buying one after you arrive will be least expensive. Phone service in the US is notoriously expensive. People in developing countries all have mobile phones because of the lack of infrastructure for land lines. So low-income working people all over the world rely on cell service and it must be cheap. So doing as the locals do when you travel...
Comment
Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo (#81)
Yes, it's on the western side of the Atlantic, and I think you can take it from Picture 2 that it serves as a school. Two wildly-popular 20th-century pop singers attended and sang together... Helpful, eh?
Comment
Re: South Dakota (yes!) has booming tourist year
The western part of the state is really beautiful, and the plains have their own magic. I'm not surprised by this news. There's a lot to see and do in "flyover country".
Comment
Re: Dismaland - the new 'post-apocalyptic' bemusement park in England
That's a terrific report, Mac -- I feel like I've been there! So this is what Disneyland is like to someone who's on a "bad trip". There's satire, and then there's a rip off of intellectual copyrights that supposedly the western world has agreed to abid with. I can't see Disney not going after these guys. Unless you didn't have to pay anything to get in, there's quite a few pounds switching hands and Disney definitely wants it share. And PHeymont, I'm surprised an adult who likes Las Vegas...
Comment
Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo, #104
From the looks of things its a fairly antiquated cockpit without any leds or other highly modern instruments. From the total lack of modern instruments and the view out the cockpit I'd have to think it that this is a museum piece and the piece of hardware is undoubtably western. I'm looking forward to both the guesses of our Gumbo seekers and what the actual answer here is (I'm in the dark)!
Comment
Re: Calgary Farmers' Market
Thanks for your comments, Lester and Jonathan. There are several Farmers Markets in Calgary because it is a fairly large city (well over a million people). This featured market is the one on Blackfoot Trail, close to 77th. There is a market more on the western end of town which would be closer to Canmore. And both have those great savory pies, which are delicious
Comment
Re: Poulet Frit
That's a hearty man-sized serving there, Rob! Must have been a hungry day for you. But it does look delicious. I assume this is an eastern Canadian chain because I've never seen it in the western half of the country.
Comment
Re: Germans Reflect on Reunification
I was in Berlin on Saturday, the day of the 25th anniversary of reunification. There were tons of people in the city, as crowded as I've ever seen any major city. The main activities were in the Tiergarten, especially around the Brandenburg gate. By the time we made our way there, the police had closed down the area and were not allowing more people in because it was overcrowded. Still, everyone seemed well behaved and having a nice time. I think most Germans feel reunification was a good...
Comment
Re: Stinking fruit cuts flight short
I don't think that devotees would ever describe durian as smelling of vomit or sewage. I count myself amongst them and would describe the taste as resembling custard with a hint of onion, maybe. There are, however, numerous different types of durian - each with a different aroma, which also depends crucially on the degree of ripeness. I shall be hunting round the vegetable stores in South-Western Sri Lanka in December. Unfortunately, it is not the season, but they grow a particularly early...
Comment
Re: Franschhoek Motor Museum, South Africa
South Africa is a country that constantly challenges your expectations. There seems to be a lot of interest in classic cars, at least in the Western Cape. This is another car museum. I must admit that it did not look too promising when we arrived (see first photo), but there were quite a few gems if you cared to look for them (as illustrated below).
Comment
Re: Franschhoek Motor Museum, South Africa
I can see a 60s Ford Capri on the right - Europe's answer to the Mustang !
Comment
Re: Journey through Karnataka: Hampi
Thank you for sharing your journey to an amazing site. Places like this are part of what makes traveling such a pleasure. We in North America learn a lot about the history of Western Europe and some Middle East civilizations and empires from there. However we tend to pass over the rest of the world which included empires and civilizations as great as the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians. Hampi is just another point in favour of a journey to India.
Comment
Re: Journey through Karnataka: Hampi
Thanks a lot for your comments. I fully agree with what you say - I also feel that there is a big hole in my education where the history of places like India is concerned. That is part of the reason why I enjoy doing blogs like this one: it forces me to do a bit of research and to broaden my own horizons.
Comment
Re: A Visit to Ireland: Part 3) Kenmare, Gateway to the Ring of Kerry
This is a terrific tip ! --- For travelers with their own cars, the clockwise approach is preferable as you have the outside lane and better views all the way around and don't end up one small buggy in a convoy of huge buses. Your article makes us want to consider a trip to western Ireland, which has not been on the radar screen. The stone circles are worth the trip all by themselves.
Comment
Re: The Island Metropolis of Singapore
Originally Posted by JaxonSmith: I have been to India many times so the humidity of Singapore does not bother me. I do love its beauty. Thanks for the comment, JaxonSmith. If you're used to humidity, then it's not a problem. I've lived in the western half of North America my entire life where humidity is quite low and it is challenging to adjust to it. I've been told by people who moved from a dry to humid climate it takes about a year to fully make the adjustment.
Comment
Re: Pesuta Shipwreck, Naikoon Provincial Park, Haida-Gwaii, British Columbia
Like the tree pics. I picked up all of my glass floats a bit farther south - on the seaward side of Vancouver Island and on the western shore of the Olympic Peninsula. I think it was always in the summer. Maybe the tides and winds bring different material at different times of the year.
Comment
Re: Flying this week? Check your Airline!
As "Climate Change" continues to keep Western Europe in a warm Caribbean breeze - then crossing the pond will be fine. Presuming - of course - you get a take off from America !
Comment
Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo (#65)
The painted figures appear to me to be in the style of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, second half of the 19th century, England. The movement also influenced the later Arts & Crafts movement up to the early 20th C. So I'm guessing it isn't a very old building, maybe 100-150 years old (if I'm right about the decoration). The (mostly) place names between the figures seem to be the English versions with just "America" mentioned, of the ones I can make out, in the western hemisphere. So I...
Reply
Re: Your opinion of Bulgaria
Travelling Buzz- I really like Bulgaria and sometimes crave the plain yogurt sweetened with honey that you get there. As far as the Black Sea ,it really reminds me of the US's Gulf Coast. Costs are lower and the beaches are great for swimming I'm anxious to hear more from you about Bulgaria's UNESCO sights ! Welcome to TG! We are glad you are part of the community!
Reply
Re: Your opinion of Bulgaria
Bulgaria is a place most Americans don't know much at all (although last year in Paris I saw a billboard that said it's the new best place for golf!) I'd love to know more and hope you'll write some blogs about it!
Reply
Re: Your opinion of Bulgaria
I also have to admit that I don't know much about Bulgaria, although more and more I've been thinking about visiting eastern Europe. I look forward to learning more about it from your future posts! Thanks!
Comment
Re: Canada's Westjet enters Trans-Atlantic market
Anything to increase competition is welcome! For those of us living in western Canada, where Westjet's main hub is (Calgary), we would welcome more options for direct flights to Europe.
Reply
Re: Your opinion of Bulgaria
Great to hear that you want to visit Bulgaria! It's really beautiful country! Hope to grab your interest with my future posts. Meanwhile here's some very nice and influencing videos, showing more about Bulgaria: ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcyWiNAnNiI ) ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVTNivPtTC0 )
Comment
Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? #44
Land seems mostly flat, buildings not new, but not centuries old. Western U.S. or Canada?
Comment
Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Jan. 23, 2014: Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, Ontario
I've been to a few places where the aboriginal people have been pushed aside for the Concrete Jungle of Western or Anglicised living. I do feel a touch guilty - but ......
Comment
Re: Wallace, Idaho: From mining town to "Center of the Universe"
Wallace reminds me of all my favorite places in the western US although I'd never heard of it before. I guess it's the look of an era rather than a particular place, when civilization arrived, paid for by the mines. Shacks replaced by wood replaced by stone & brick, a similar story all over the West. And amazing that so many survive. Thanks, DrF.
Comment
Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, May 14, 2014: Passing by America, 1969
Looking at the photo, my guess would have been some place in Northern Idaho or Western Montana. I'd have never thought it was in Western Pennsylvania. Perhaps time I pay the place a visit.
Blog Post
Gumbo's Pic of the Day, December 10, 2014: Black Arctic Ground Squirrel
Ground Squirrels are fairly common in western North America. Many people call them gophers but this is not correct. A gopher is an animal that lives underground and stays there. Most people have never seen one. Ground...
Blog Post
The Loire River Valley
Many find a visit to the Loire Valley to be the highlight of their visit to France, as did we. When we were planning our journey I discussed our itinerary with my friend, Wayne. Wayne and his wife had...
Blog Post
Gumbo's Pic of the Day, December 15, 2014: The artificial Lake Reschen - Italy
I have visited a few artificial lakes on my travels but Lake Reschen tops my list - simply breathtaking. It is located in the western portion of South Tyrol, Italy, approximately 2 km south of Reschen Pass which forms the...
Blog Post
Arctic Birds on Migration: Saskatchewan
Many of the Arctic birds are large white birds such as geese and swans but also include smaller and different coloured sandpipers and other birds. Where is the best place to see these magnificent Arctic birds? The most...
Blog Post
Sri Lanka: A Land Like No Other (Part 1a) Colombo
Preamble:This is the first in a series of posts featuring my travels to Sri Lanka. My visits to this island centered around seeing my favorite author and dear friend, futurist Sir Arthur C. Clarke. During every one of these visits I made a...