This past Monday, hundreds of dairy farmers gathered in Brussels to apply pressure on the agriculture ministers meeting there to discuss low milk prices. Farmers have been dumping milk stocks and withholding product, as the price of milk has fallen across Europe. The reason for the falling price is the simple rule of supply and demand. Looking to make an impression and be heard, many farmers rode in their tractors, threw eggs, dumped milk into the streets, and many even brought cows! The end result that the farmers are hoping for is more regulation of the market, which would ensure that when times get tough, things abundance’s don’t happen to them. There was a notable police presence, and judging by this photo, it looks like the farmers have no shortage of creativity when it comes to finding methods of protest.
Somewhere, there is a flock of flying pigs soaring majestically through the streets of Paris, as it has been announced that one of the world’s most famous museums will soon be selling Happy Meals. Yes, the Louvre has announced plans to open up a McDonald’s franchise. I for one, find this not only appalling, but against everything that real art stands for. Maybe I shouldn’t be so harsh. I’m sure they will make uncanny amounts of money after all, perhaps some of it will trickle down into a French charity that feeds homeless artists. Read the full story here.
What are your thoughts on this? Would you eat at the McLourve during your next vacation in Paris?
When planning my last vacation, I had to ask myself, how much do I really need to communicate when I’m trying to get away from it all? The answer as it turned out, was a lot. Planning on not using my cell phone in a major city was not a good idea, and I ran out of battery life before the trip was through.
When traveling, there are many ways to stay connected. Cell phone technology has changed so much in the past few years, it’s hard to keep up. Netbooks will show you that computers have also gotten smaller, and far more convenient for your next vacation. I remember a time not so long ago, when if you wanted travel information, you had to actually bring along a book. Not so much anymore. How important are these things to you? Is having a smart phone a priority for you on a vacation, or would you just assume leave it at home in lieu of a digital camera?
Speaking of digital cameras, we are always taking submissions for our Travel Trivia photo series! If you have any landmarks, feedback, or other stories, feel free to email me at hans@autoeurope.com
From its inception, Virgin Galactic has been inspiring people the world over to think about what a look at the Earth would look and feel like from the capsule of a space ship. It would appear, that we are inching closer to that reality. For those unaware, the idea behind these flights is to have a large ship, ascend to the height of 50,000 feet and then drop a smaller ship, which will then take space tourists about 65 miles above the earths surface at a speeds of over 2500 mph.
So far what’s been announced has been pretty amazing. A space station known as Spaceport America is already being built in New Mexico, and the larger ship, the VMS Eve has taken several test flights, including one with Sir Richard Branson himself. It was the 16th flight and so far seems to be working smoothly. Virgin expects the ship to make an active drop by the end of 2009.
Another unique aspect of Virgin Galactic is how green it is. Great measures have been taken to make the ships as environmentally sound as possible. The engineers have basically taken what we know about space travel and started over, and so far it has paid off in a big way.
Speaking of paid in a big way, the price tag to get on to one of these flights is $200,000. So in the meantime, I’ll be sticking to regular flights to Europe for my next vacation!
More than 200 years after his death, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart continues to inspire and enchant the world with two new pieces of music that were recently uncovered. According to experts, the pieces are believed to be written by a young Mozart when he was 7 or 8 years old. The two works, Piano Piece in G and Concerto Movement in G were discovered in the archives of the International Mozarteum Foundation. They contained no name, but the experts there have determined through the use of handwriting analysis that they are in fact, original Mozart works.
The handwriting is actually the work of Wolfgang’s father, Leopold who would often transcribe his works as he would write them.
Austrian pianist Florian Birsak recently performed these works on Mozart’s piano for a slew of journalists and music lovers. It’s intense for anyone to hear, and nearly impossible anyone writing such a complex piece of music at such a young age.
We have been receiving updates from many of our suppliers of rental car shortages at various locations throughout Europe. The most sensitive locations are Ireland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, and Croatia. Automatic vehicles and vans are always in high demand, so if you are going to be in need of one in August or September, now would be the time to confirm your rental. Even manual vehicles are being booked up in some locations. There are upgrade specials and discount promotions with Auto Europe that expire on July 31st, making now the best time to guarantee your vehicle at the best possible rate.
Just so you know, with Auto Europe there are no penalties for cancellation or change of reservations.
According to the Telegraph, the communications Minister of the UK has confirmed that his intentions are to end all FM broadcasts by the year 2015. This is similar to the way that digital transmissions replaced the analog television signals in the United States earlier this year. Apparently once digital radio accounts for 50% of the market, the official date will be released. Apparently the FM spectrum freed up is going to be dedicated to local networks only.
What does this mean for you on your next vacation in England? As of right, now, not a whole lot. However over the next couple years you will probably start seeing more and more digital radios in the rental cars in the UK. No word on if this is going to be giving lawmakers here in the United States any ideas. What are your thoughts on the switch?
Today marks the beginning of one of the most famous sporting events in history, The Wimbledon tennis tournament. Since 1877, the matches have been held at the All England Club in the London suburb of Wimbledon. It is currently the only tennis grand slam event held on a grass court.
There are many traditions for watching matches. Of course English manners play an important role, and hecklers are removed immediately. Other traditions include eating strawberries and cream, royal guests and celebrities in attendance and of course rain.
The clear local favorite in the men’s singles this year is Andy Murray. The Scottish player is currently ranked #3 in the world, and has the attention of the nation as he most likely would have to face Roger Federer who won the event from 2003-2007. If Murray could pull off a win, he would be the first Briton to win at Wimbledon since 1970, which would be quite an honor.
If you’ve made last minute plans and are heading over, it may not be too late to pick up a rental car in London to get to and from the matches!
I know it sounds like a tag-line from a terrible movie, but in this case there’s some truth behind it- just ask anyone in Sweden. Formed in 2006, the Pirates got 7.1% of the vote in the European Parliamentary elections in Sweden, enough to earn not one but two seats at the table if the Lisbon Treaty goes through (which it probably will). These pirates are determined not to get too organized, and mainly advertise by word of mouth and the internet (Yes, they are those kind of pirates in case you were wondering).
Think that the movement may be fruitless? Pirates got .5% of the vote in Germany as well, so there’s a good chance that in the next elections, we could see a stronger pirate presence in the European Parliament. Who said politics had to be boring?
In an order to promote the electric car, many of the world’s top car manufactures have agreed on a standard plug that will be used for charging the batteries of electric vehicles. Ford, General Motors, Volkswagen, BMW, Fiat, Toyota, and Mitsubishi are just some of the companies who have already signed on, and it is expected to become the industry standard. The final design of the plug was released today in Hanover, Germany, and uses a 400 volt supply. The plug will give all electric cars the ability to be recharged in a matter of minutes at stations all over the world.
This is good news for anyone thinking about buying an electric car. Not only will it be more cost effective for the car companies to outfit gas stations with electric power supplies, but you know you will be able to travel with your car into other countries as well. The idea is that charging your car will be no more time consuming or tedious than with a gas powered car, which is a concept that many EV (electric vehicle) owners will like.
The image of the electric car has not always been positive, however many people in the auto industry are excited about facing a new design challenge that is more eco-friendly. Cars produce much of the world’s carbon emissions, so for many, this is a step that is long overdue. With the spike in last years gas prices, many people were already seeking alternate forms of transportation, and the EV took the spotlight again. It seems this time, it may be permanent.
One would guess that if companies of this size have made this commitment, that affordable, reliable EV’s may be in your driveway sooner than imagined!
