Worldcrunch
MARSEILLE – The Old Port, the historic quarter’s main street known as the Canebière, Notre Dame de la Garde church — these are three must-sees for any tourist in Marseille, France. And everybody visits them. But how about the old quarter known as the Panier? Very few venture there. Even many locals take the long […]
Once an island paradise, Bali is turning into a concrete jungle, threatening its environment, culture, religion, and even language. Can Bali survive tourism, ask the island’s worried inhabitants?
DIE WELT (Germany) Worldcrunch LONDON – Naples may be battling an infestation of large red cockroaches this summer, but not to be outdone is London which, experts say, will be awash in bed bugs (Cimex lectularius). So anyone planning to visit the British capital for the Olympics is likely not only to encounter heightened security […]
Noisy tourists who come by the bus-full, drunk Brits: many people living in European cities are fed up with the hordes of tourists that are threatening their quality of life.
FOHLA DE S.PAULO (Brazil) Worldcrunch SÃO PAULO – “Enjoy “ze flight!” One of the secret pleasures of international flying is checking out the fantastic range of accents of pilots and flight crews. Across all languages. But for security reasons, a very solid grasp of English is mandatory for all pilots on international flights. Passengers on […]
The eccentric offerings at Baumhaushotel Solling in Uslar, Germany, sleep six people each and come with a toilet and balcony. Others have flat-screen TVs and slate bathtubs. They also happen to be 10 meters off the ground. Check out these tree house hotel
Prized for its warm tone, the real value of the ancient gemstone is often what has been trapped inside millennia ago. Traveling to the regions around the North and Baltic Seas, you can find amber both in special gem shops, and if you’re lucky, al
Chinese athletes won’t be able to explore any of London’s many global cuisines, or even eat the special food prepared at the Olympic Village. Just internal, government-approved grub. Why? Fears that banned substances might slip into thei
Well-known German Doctor Dietrich Gronemeyer is on a mission to rethink the approach for healthy eating. It’s about balance, rather than saying ‘No,’ or ‘You Must.’
Worldcrunch 60 MILLIONS DE CONSOMMATEURS, LE MONDE, LE PROGRES (France) PARIS – Ever wondered what’s the secret ingredient that makes sodas taste so delicious? Sugar, sweeteners, additives, caffeine…. alcohol? Yes, you read it: alcohol. French magazine 60 Millions de Consommateurs, the French equivalent of Consumer Reports, compiled a list of ingredients found in 19 of […]
LE MONDE (France) PARIS – Cooking food in the dishwasher…now why should anyone do such a thing? Because the French say so, and when it comes to cuisine, it’s best just to do what they say. “Wrap your fish or meat in a waterproof bag and then set your dishwasher on 60°C or more,” explains […]
LA TRIBUNE (France) BORDEAUX – Bordeaux wines have become so popular in China, reports La Tribune, that they are now widely targeted by counterfeiters. Wine consumption in China – a relatively new phenomenon – has doubled in the past five years, and should continue to become more and more mainstream. So much so that China […]
Worldcrunch MILANO OGGI NOTIZIE (Italy) MILAN – In Italian restaurants, if you want to drink water with your meal, you have two choices: bottled still water or bottled fizzy water, each about 2 euros a pop. Tap water is rarely served, and when it is, you often have the bad surprise of being billed for […]
In the Russian capital, where rush-hour traffic lasts past midnight, the Mayor has decided to make the city more pedestrian and bicycle friendly. Will drivers finally give way?
South Korea is rediscovering its beautiful coastline, and is working hard to turn its sleepy fishing ports into tourist destinations. Yeosu World Expo 2012 is the first among many events aimed at drawing visitors into the region.
Paul Ricard was a visionary: in the early 1920s, he was already dreaming of selling his aniseed liquor around the world. Eighty years later, his vision has become reality, and what was a little liquor from the South of France is today one of the world&
THE MAINICHI / KYODO (Japan) TOKYO – Japan’s low cost carrier Skymark Airlines has found a new and unusual way to cut costs. Since May, passengers have been advised not to complain or to ask for help on board, and crew members have been told not to be helpful or nice. The airline hopes to […]
EUROPE 1 (France) “May contain egg protein” or “contains traces of milk.” Not exactly what you’d expect to read on the label of a wine bottle. But starting July 1, wine sold in Europe will come marked with exactly this kind of information. The move follows a European directive aimed at informing consumers of the […]
Food-related news in China in recent years has been mostly about toxins and scandals. A new documentary is a pleasant reminder of the richness of Chinese culinary culture.
RUE89 (France) Good news: beer does not give you beer belly! Although we’ve been led to believe there was a direct correlation between beer and abdominal obesity, a group of very serious scientists from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden discovered that beer is not responsible for our beer guts. The Swedish researchers went to […]
SINA NEWS (China) BEIJING – The capital of China wants you! (Or at least, may not kick you out quite so fast…) Making that point, at least with a gesture, the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau has announced plans to allow foreigners to enter without a visa for 72 hours, Sina News is reporting. The […]
Once home to a thriving whaling industry, Portugal’s Azores islands are now a hotspot for whale watching. The archipelago also boasts scenic hiking trails and unusual vineyards, which are protected from the wind – and warmed at night – by labyrinthian vol
Mushroom lovers beware. Health authorities in Zurich recently destroyed 10 tons of Ukrainian mushrooms after determining that the wild fungi contained unacceptable levels of radiation.
LA NACIÓN (Costa Rica) SAN JOSE – Costa Rica’s claims to fame include beautiful beaches, a stable democracy, a greasy pigskin specialty called “chicharrónes,” a couple of World Cup appearances and… as of this week, membership in the exclusive “Mount Everest Club.” Costa Rican mountaineer Warner Rojas reached the 8,848-meter (29,029-foot) summit of Everest Thursday […]
The World Heritage List maintained by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is a nice shot of status. More practically, it would help protect France’s famous bubbly from fraudulent imitators.
LA TERCERA (Chile) SANTIAGO – A “fake chef” in Chile has been accused of conning his way into numerous restaurant and café jobs with a souped-up resume, and then robbing his employers. Police say the 28-year-old man, indentified as Jorge Sepúlveda Salazar, used a bogus resume to land jobs throughout the South American country, La […]
A unpaid $7,000 tab at Copacabana’s Porto Bay hotel was traced to a 53-year-old American, whose hotel bill showed 30 caipirinhas a day. Employees say the suspect was constantly surrounded by women… apparently also with drinks in hand.
Why take the train when you can ride a bicycle? What better way to take in the gorgeous Italian countryside than to ride along the Po River, a route dotted with cathedrals, national parks and beautiful cities.
A North Korean “cultural center” has opened near Amsterdam. And though neighbors find the curtains a bit off-putting, the food — served in nine courses — is tasty, nicely presented and comes with a dash of live entertainment. A long way indeed
A “walking euro” describes his travels through Manila, the dizzying capital city of the Philippines. Chaotic, corrupt and largely Catholic, the city is also bursting with energy.
A Die Welt reporter spends a week receiving the royal treatment aboard “The Indian Maharaja,” a five-star train that runs from New Delhi to Mumbai. Stops along the way include Udaipur, city of temples and lakes, the caves at Ellora, and of course the Taj
As Gorgonzola exports begin to boom, formaggio fraudsters try to get a cut of the action with fake versions of the cheese. One trick is to give the imitation variety a name that has a familiar ring.
Israelis have long ignored the vast scorching flatlands of the Negev desert in the southern part of the country. But more and more now see it as a healthy alternative for a weekend getaway — or for checking out for good.
After 15 years of running the “Hut” at the base of the Matterhorn mountain, Kurt Lauber knows the peak like a big brother. The “Watchman” has roped together memories of perilous rescues and the daily quirks of a mountain life.
For some northern Europeans, Greece’s economic crisis may be just the opportunity to finally have a sun-soaked Mediterranean vacation home. Property prices are down, with some sea view plots going for as little as 30,000 euros. Still, would-be buyers shou
Would you climb 8,848 meters to pick up other people’s waste, discarded climbing gear and even the occasional dead body? This is what the Eco Everest Expedition sets out to do every year.
Paul Lacoste’s new mouth-watering documentary, “Entre les Bras” (“Step Up To The Plate”), chronicles a complex father-son dynamic in the kitchen, as acclaimed chef Michel Bras gets ready to hand down his multiple Michelin-star
Did you say Cocoa Chanel? Daring designs, fancy hairdressers, lickable tattoos, edible clothes. Switzerland, which is chocolate heaven even on a bad day, is wearing its sweetest delicacies on its sleeve as the Salon du Chocolat comes to Zurich for the fir
Chinese bureaucracy will soon deprive us of one of life’s immense pleasures: ordering ‘drunken shrimp’, ‘happy meatballs’ or ‘chicken without sex’ from a menu. These inventive, often poetic translati