Jaunted - The Pop Culture Travel Guide

Adventures of Link: It's Storm Season

pbb — 2008-07-08T18:05:13-05:00

Though it was threatening Bermuda, it now looks like the first Atlantic hurricane of 2008, Bertha, will spin off into the open ocean without major incident. That's certainly good news for now, but some meteorologists think the formation and track of this storm are bad omens for the season as a whole.

Destinations that depend on visitors year-round are already offering up storm guarantees to keep the tourists coming despite the threat. Topping the list? You guessed it: Bermuda.

Related Stories:
· Bermuda Department of Tourism Hurricane Guarantee [Official Site, via]
· Big Bertha: A Bad Omen? [WaPo]
· Hurricane Bertha's Burst of Strength Stumps Experts [NGN]
· Hurricane Bertha Public Advisory [NOAA]
· Hurricanes coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: TWC]

New York: Not Quite "Master and Commander": Jaunted Goes to Sailing School

pbb — 2008-07-08T17:02:26-05:00

After years of talking about it, making excuses and generally being a baby about the whole thing, Jaunted editor Paul Brady finally signed up for sailing lessons. He took Basic Keelboat Sailing 101 at the Manhattan Sailing School.

The first time I got in a sailboat, I managed to flip the thing over. Granted, it was a Sunfish--and could handle being capsized--but the experience didn't exactly make me eager to get back at the helm.

Still, I can hardly spend my time traveling along the Eastern Seaboard and through the Caribbean avoiding sail boats. It'd be like going to Bourbon Street and ordering a virgin margarita. So since I didn't grow up near water and I don't have a crusty old sea-going uncle to show me the ropes, I did the next best thing: I signed up for a class with an American Sailing Association instructor in Manhattan.

Denver: Smokin' Szele Indicted by Federal Grand Jury

pbb — 2008-07-08T16:00:13-05:00

Christina Szele, the enraged passenger who allegedly punched a flight attendant after he snatched a lit cigarette from her lips, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver. They say there's enough evidence to prosecute on the original charges of assault and interference with a flight crew--and the jury adds that another charge of assault is in order for Szele's behavior toward a second FA.

The US attorney in the case, Troy Eid, says he's not afraid to make an example of Szele, who authorities say caused such a ruckus that the pilot on her flight had to make an unscheduled stop at Denver International to toss her.

The "anything-goes-on-an-airplane" culture must end. Mess with a commercial flight crew and expect to face the consequences.

And consequences there certainly may be: If found guilty of the interference charge, Szele faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000!

Related Stories:
· Press Release about the Indictment [Official DOJ Site]
· Nicotine Fiend Flips out on JetBlue [Jaunted]
· Bad Seatmates coverage [Jaunted]

Airline Capacity Cuts: AirTran Slashing Jobs, Capacity

pbb — 2008-07-08T15:15:13-05:00

AirTran will shed 480 pilots and flight attendants in September, reducing the carrier's total in-flight workforce by 14 percent. The announcement comes on the heels of company-wide salary cuts that will reduce pay by an average of 10 percent.

Along with the staff reductions, overall capacity on AirTran will decline by about five percent in September, though it's not yet clear what cities or routes could be eliminated. One assumes Orlando is safe, given the city's recently announced advertising agreement with the carrier.

Like so many airlines before it, AirTran blames the cuts on escalating fuel prices. Says a spokesman:

It's a necessary step that's part of adapting to a more difficult economic environment. It is largely driven by fuel.

Related Stories:
· AirTran to Lay Off up to 480 [Orlando Sentinel]
· AirTran to Cut 480 Jobs [AJC]
· Danica Patrick Flies AirTran. Sorta. [Jaunted]

[Photo: Cubbie_n_Vegas]

Lecce: Sand Swiping in Southern Italy

pbb — 2008-07-08T15:00:13-05:00

Beaches throughout Italy are under growing strain from erosion, and the situation is at its worst in Puglia, where 65 percent of the coast is at risk. That has the beaches near the town of Lecce worried so much that officials there are bringing in new sand--from nearby Brindisi.

While we think there's nothing more Italian than "borrowing" something from your neighborhood rival, Brindisi residents didn't appreciate the sand stealing. Once the courts got involved, Lecce was ordered to stop dredging. That means the problems persist, says a local lifeguard:

Customers are ringing to ask: "Do you have any sand this year?"

They will soon enough: The new plan is to haul in more from Albania!

Related Stories:
· Sand Wars Break out on Italian Beaches [Telegraph]
· Italy Travel coverage [Jaunted]
· Beaches coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo of a beach near Lecce: Hydruntum]

Montreux: Leonard Cohen Loves This Swiss Jazz Festival

egw — 2008-07-08T14:00:13-05:00

Melancholy singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen is out on the road again after a 15-year touring hiatus. The Canadian poet and balladeer, who spent most of the '90s in a Zen Buddhist monastery in California, plays tonight at Switzerland's Montreux Jazz Festival, a genre-crossing concert series on the shores of Lake Geneva in the same city where David Bowie recorded "Heroes."

See bluesman Buddy Guy tomorrow, neo-soul duo Gnarls Barkley on Friday and an all-star tribute to Quincy Jones on July 14 at the festival, which continues through the 19.

Cohen kicked off his tour in Fredericton, New Brunswick in May and follows up his Montreux appearance with concerts in Lyon, Bruges and Amsterdam this weekend.

Related Stories:
· Leonard Cohen Revisits Montreux After 30 Years [AFP, via Google]
· Leonard Cohen's Island [Jaunted]
· Switzerland Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo of Cohen: My Chemical Toilet; photo of Montreux: yaspal]

Ojai: Art Travel: Weekend Warrior Series Invades a Town Full of 'Em

DanielR — 2008-07-08T13:35:13-05:00

Ojai may seem like some kind of LOLcats town, but tell that to the Los Angeles elite that go there for the weekends and they'll crack your fat skull with their pre-release 3G iPhones.

Known for some killer Pinot Noir, this quiet former hippie enclave north of LA is home to this summer's chicest art exhibit at the Nathan Larramendy Gallery. It's called, appropriately enough, "Weekend Warrior."

Open Wednesday to Sunday until August 10, the hipster haven will feature work from some epic artists that work in a wide range of media and styles. Artist Steven Stein had his worked described as "maximalist geometric saturated synthetic 'full void, empty volume' pieces." Riiight. Just try to act too cool for school, and you'll do fine.

Related Stories:
· Nathan Larramendy Gallery [Official Site]
· Weekend Warrior [Cool Hunting]
· Art Galleries coverage [Jaunted]