ontoTravel

Now at tikichris.wordpress.com

2009-02-01T15:51:00.004Z

Hi. I’ve decided to consolidate my personal blogging activities and have started a wordpress blog, tikichris.wordpress.com. Anything that I might have posted here at ontoTravel will now be posted there. Same goes for content that I might have published at ontoLondon or the The Adventures of Tiki Chris: it will now be posted on the new site. I'm not doing away with these old sites - just not actively posting on them anymore. Indeed, I may find some need to publish content through them in the future.

To be sure, there will be plenty of travel related content on the new blog. In fact, I have a feeling there may be even more of it in the next year! For off-the-cuff mobile blogging, I’m keeping my Tumblr blog, tikichris-to-go. If you haven’t checked it out yet. I hope you will, I have a lot of fun with it.

Thanks so much to regular followers of this blog. It means a great deal to me to have had you “tuning in” these past few years. I look forward to continuing the journey with you!

Sincerely,
Chris
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London, I’m Coming Home (Qype does London)

2009-01-11T10:07:00.000Z

London, I’m Coming Home
Chris Osburn
Qype does London
January 11th 2009

I’m sitting here at Hartsfield International Airport (ick) in Atlanta waiting for my flight back to Heathrow (double ick). Despite the prospect of an especially sinister case of jetlag and an ever increasing pile of work waiting to gang up on me across The Pond, I’m more than ready to return. Three weeks is a long time to be away. I miss my wife, my kitties, my daily routine and the city I call home.

Read the complete London, I’m Coming Home post at Qype does London.

Pub Quiz Winner! (Qype does London)

2009-01-06T22:58:00.000Z

Pub Quiz Winner!
Chris Osburn
Qype does London
January 7th 2009

To be honest, this was my first pub quiz, something I’ve always associated with London. Maybe they used to have them back when I lived here, but I don’t remember ever hearing about pub quizzes then or on any past visits. Anyway, our team won ...

Read the complete Pub Quiz Winner! post at Qype does London.

I Like Bodean’s But … (Qype does London)

2009-01-03T00:25:00.004Z

I Like Bodean’s But …
Chris Osburn
Qype does London
January 3rd 2009

Don’t get me wrong; I like BoDean’s (especially their wings). But they could learn a thing or twelve from world famous master of the pit, Big Bob Gibson. As I said in my last post ...

Read the complete I Like Bodean’s But … at Qype does London.

“London Style” Fish & Chips in Chattanooga, Tennessee (Qype does London)

2009-01-01T23:19:00.004Z

“London Style” Fish & Chips in Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chris Osburn
Qype does London
January 2nd 2009

Driving around Chattanooga, Tennessee the other day I happened upon the above pictured van advertising Tugboat “London Style” Fish & Chips. I thought all you folks back in the UK would get a kick out of it.

Read the complete “London Style” Fish & Chips in Chattanooga, Tennessee post at Qype does London.

Berliner December

2008-12-16T09:09:00.012Z

I spent the weekend in Berlin catching up with a good friend from grad school, and I have to say that visiting Berlin during the run up to Christmas is well worth considering. The city glows with equal parts urban cool and winter wonder and there are a gazillion and one things to do - Christmas-y or otherwise. April in Paris? New York in June? Sure! But don't count out a Berliner December.

This wasn't my first time in Berlin (and I sincerely hope it won't be my last!), but it was my first during December. With pretty winter lights strung along trees, streets, homes and shop windows, and Weihnachtsmarkts (Christmas Markets) scattered throughout the city (erm, sorry, I don't think Berliners scatter anything; strategically placed at optimal locations might be a better way to put it), the festive season was in full swing.

Of course, the highlight of the trip was getting to spend some quality time with my old classmate, but I loved munching and sipping my way through the markets and sampling all sorts of yummy German treats. It was also an opportunity to try out my new Nikon D700 (which moving to it from the D70s is like hopping from the driver's seat of a VW to a Porsche). I've still a ways to go climbing the learning curve to operate this camera but I'm pretty happy with my results so far. See what you think:

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR. Can't see the above pics? Click here to view them on Flickr.

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Read more about my weekend in Berlin ...

Berlin!
Chris Osburn
Qype does London
December 16th 2008

Our line of attack planned, we set out Saturday morning to do Berlin in grand style. A mix of the sobering (Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe and nearby Memorial to Homosexuals persecuted under Nazism) with the delightfully festive (Christmas markets at Charlottenburg and Gendarmenmarkt) and the historic (Brandenburg Gate, the remnants of the Berlin Wall) made for a perfect weekend, with plenty of glüwein and würst and all sorts of yummies (I loved the seasonal grünkohl with ribs!!!) rounding out the tour.

Read the complete Berlin! post at Qype does London.

Book UK Airport Hotels with Airport-Hotels.co.uk

2008-11-09T08:22:00.002Z

Every so often, I find myself with an upcoming flight taking off at the crack of dawn. When I’ve been able to spend the night before the flight at accommodations near the airport, it’s made those trips so much more relaxing than if I would have had to drag myself to the airport in the wee early morn feeling like a zombie.

Have you got a similar travel situation coming up? Consider booking a room at an airport hotel and cut down on any early morning stresses trying to make your airport.

A useful resource for booking your room near the airport is Airport-Hotels.co.uk, which lists every hotel available near every major airport in the UK. Whether situated within the airport perimeter (on-airport) and just a short walk to the airport terminal or off-airport and requiring a short transfer to the terminals, you’ll find the right hotel on Airport-Hotels.co.uk.

Airport-Hotels.co.uk compares relevant hotel prices from five leading hotel providers, including Holiday Extras, Superbreak, APH and FHR, helping to ensure you pay the lowest price for you room. With Airport-Hotels.co.uk, you can also choose to include dinner or breakfast, additional car parking or – of course – simply book a room. In addition to those features, Airport-hotels can be used to reserve hotel parking for up to fifteen days.

You also might want to keep Airport-Hotels.co.uk in mind to bypass any potential late night hassles associated with an upcoming flight arriving just in time for you to want to hit the sack. I’ve been in this situation a few times before too. And when I’ve been able to simply make it to a room quick and move on the next morning after a decent night’s sleep, I’ve gotten more out of my trip. Of course, should you have an upcoming business meeting near a UK airport, Airport-Hotels.co.uk is an obvious choice for booking as well.

Taking a Quick Look at Ferryonline.co.uk

2008-11-03T18:42:00.009Z

Air travel annoyances and Eurostar hold-ups have me searching the web for alternate modes of to-n-fro. How about a ferry?

Unfortunately, I haven’t been travelling abroad as much this year as I would have liked. I reckon that, considering the shape of the economy these days, such is the case with a lot of folks. Fuel prices seem to be upping the costs of airfare – and budget airlines just add-on whatever surcharges they feel is necessary to ensure what looked like a cheap ticket is no longer a bargain.

Besides, air travel ain’t doing it for me anyway. I mean, even if I arrive at the airport hours before my flight, odds are I’m still in for some sort of unforeseen hassle and an almost endless wait in at least one winding queue of disgruntled travellers. Sometimes, as with the opening of Heathrow’s T5, the aggravations associated with air travel are enough to embarrass a whole nation! The last few times I’ve flown, the whole rigmarole left me wondering if the trips were worth the undo flight-related stress. Remember back in those pre-9/11 days when flights were cheap and you didn’t have to worry about how much toothpaste you had in your carry-on?

I’ve taken the Eurostar a couple of times this year as well and have to admit that I really love zipping through the Chunnel from St Pancras and shortly showing up in continental Europe. And, when I’ve been able to find a deal or book well in advance, I’ve found the fares to be exceptional value for money. However, with the Eurostar still operating an amended timetable following the “incident in the Channel Tunnel in September 2008,” this option is now a bit of a headache too.

So, ever-hankering to travel yet wanting to make the most of my money and time, I’ve been snooping around the web looking for alternative travel arrangements. One site I’ve come across in my research that appears to offer a valuable and reliable service (and has my brain buzzing with all sorts of potential travel exploits) is Ferryonline, which specialises in offering ferry tickets at low prices. Through Ferryonline, I could book ferries for any major European sea crossing. And check this out: for crossings where there are a number of operators, Ferryonline compares all the prices for me to see the cheapest price for the same route.

I’ve taken ferry trips before (loved ‘em) but only once in the UK and never anywhere to/from continental Europe. I’d be keen to try this method again some time in the near future and have no doubt that I’ll start my journey with a visit to Ferryonline first. The site provides the latest deals from all the leading ferry operators for both passenger and freight crossings, essentially providing folks with the option of booking any ferry journey in Europe from the comfort of their homes.

The hardest part will be figuring out where I’d like to go! Ireland, Holland, Spain, island hopping in Greece? Hmm … Whatever and wherever I decide, I’ll be sure to keep ya posted.

Return to Whitstable (Qype does London)

2008-09-18T11:14:00.000Z

Return to Whitstable

Chris Osburn
Qype does London
September 15th 2008

Although it’s only some 60 miles from London, Whitstable seems like it’s a world away. The train trip’s scenic too. Whitstable’s train station is within walking distance of the town centre and beach - with the Pearl Fisher B&B essential equidistant between the station and the beach. I’m sure I’ll find myself back in Whitstable yet again. The delicious seafood and fresh salt air (all just a short jaunt away) are just too good.

Read the complete Whitstable post at Qype does London.

Awesome New Guidebook to the Big Island of Hawaii

2008-08-28T20:15:00.007Z

If you’ve ever had even a passing conversation with me, I probably mentioned Hawaii … or was very likely wearing one of my many vintage made-in-Hawaii aloha shirts. I absolutely love Hawaii, wish I could spend more time there (like, at least half the year) and am borderline obsessive about virtually every aspect of Hawaiian and Polynesian life, culture, history and food.

Much of my love of the islands is the result of hanging out with my friend, Elizabeth Blish Hughes, a writer/editor who used to live in Hawaii. For years, Beth’s been an encyclopedic source of knowledge for any and all questions I’ve had about Hawaii. Her advice and understanding have helped me to make the most of my trips to Hawaii and to seek out and enjoy aspects of island living that I otherwise wouldn’t have known about. In particular, her tips really paid off when Emiana and I visited the Big Island of Hawaii for our honeymoon.

So I was really stoked when Beth informed me that her new guidebook, Hawaii's Big Island: Great Destinations: A Complete Guide (Great Destinations), is now available for pre-order on Amazon. Emi and I have reserved our copy and I’m really hoping we’ll be able to fully use the book soon! Beth’s a fantastic writer, with local – off-the-beaten-path – knowledge of and deep love for Hawaii, its people and its many wonders. Mahalo Beth for sharing your expertise with the world!

You Know You're in New Jersey When ...

2008-08-27T14:03:00.004Z

... there's a preset pizza button on the phone at your hotel!

More photos from the Jersey Shore at the tikichris photostream on Flickr.

Le Eurostar weekend (Qype does London)

2008-08-03T09:41:00.003Z

Le Eurostar weekend
by Chris Osburn

Qype does London
August 3rd 2008

I’m sure the Eurostar has its share of imperfections (one time about a year ago, my Paris-London train was delayed for what seemed an excruciatingly long couple of hours), but for the most part I’ve had pleasant experiences zipping through the Chunnel. Taking the Eurostar to/from any of its destinations is certainly more civilized and a lot more logistically sensible than getting to/from any airports these days!

Read the complete Eurostar weekend post.

Beijing Olympics Site Arcitechture Videos

2008-08-03T05:40:00.004Z

Here are a few short clips from early June of the Beijing Olympics site. The architecture is phenomenal. To say the least, it will be interesting to see how the Opening Ceremonies go.

Beijing Photos on Flickr

2008-08-02T20:48:00.000Z

Okay, here's a link to some Beijing photos I uploaded to Flickr. If all goes as planned, I should have some more pics from my visit to China on Flickr soon.

Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008

Paris Graffiti (Juxtapoz)

2008-07-24T22:22:00.002Z

Photos: French Street Art
Photography by Chris Osburn
Juxtapoz
Thursday, 24 July 2008

Our UK-based buddy Chris Osburn branched out and hit up France for a little vin and fromage and a lot of great street art.

See all the French Street Art photos.

Whitstable Weekend (Qype does London)

2008-07-14T15:00:00.001Z

Whitstable Weekend
by Chris Osburn

Qype does London
July 14th 2008

While there, I was really blown away by the seafood. Whitstable is famous for its oysters and early into my stay I found out why: there’re delicious!

Click here for complete post.

Shanghai Graffiti Photos (Juxtapoz)

2008-06-25T01:49:00.000Z

Photos: Graffiti in Shanghai, China
Chris Osburn, London Correspondent
Juxtapoz
Tuesday, 24 June 2008

Generally speaking, graffiti in Shanghai is an extremely rare sight. Buildings come and go at such a rapid pace that, even if an intrepid artist had touched up a particular wall, there's a good chance that said wall would have been demolished soon after ... The exception to this rule is Moganshan Road, where you can hardly take a step without spotting some graff. The area around Moganshan Road is Shanghai's art district where, luckily, the art isn't just confined to the galleries and shops.

Click here for complete post and all the photos.

Photographing China (PhotoBox)

2008-06-24T15:28:00.002Z

Photographing China
Chris Osburn, PhotoBox blogger
PhotoBox
June 24th, 2008

A recent three week trip to China (mostly for fun but with a little business thrown in for good measure) provided an overabundance of photo opportunities and a range of fascinating experiences to impart with readers of the PhotoBox blog. With the Olympics soon to commence in Beijing and unprecedented economic growth stimulating a building boom the likes of which the world has never seen, the difficulty wasn’t deciding when to snap a photo but having the wherewithal to put the camera away at all!

Click here for complete post

Expat Perspective - Chris in Freiburg - Mom's Visit

2008-06-22T05:48:00.004Z

Welcome to the latest instalment of Expat Perspective, a series of posts by guest writers who come from X but are living long term in Y. Here's the latest post from Chris Mavergames, an American librarian who's recently settled into family life in Southern Germany.

Recently, my mother, who is 67, came for a visit. She's been to Freiburg, a city nestled in the heart of the Südschwarzwald (southern Black Forest) region of Germany - last year right after our son Arvo was born. But, I'm always interested in what she finds interesting about where we live. For example, nearly all German dwellings have rolladen on the windows, a type of rolling shutter that lowers to completely cover the window rendering the room pitch black if you like. I've become used to them and forgot that we don't have those in America and they are quite helpful for mid-day naps, especially for an 18-month old!

My mother also enjoyed the "Radler" drink very much as she's not a big drinker. A Radler, also know as Shandy (UK) or panaché (France) is a mixture of pils beer and zitronenlimonade or German style, sparkling lemonade - like Sprite but more natural. And what goes well with a cool
beverage? Football, or soccer if you prefer, of course! I was surprised by my mother's enthusiasm for the Euro 2008 championships currently underway in the host countries of Switzlerland and Austria.

Overall, I think my mother quite enjoyed her visit here. Sadly, she had to return to America before the Euro 2008 final coming up next weekend. Perhaps she can catch it on ESPN in America, though she'll have to mix her own Radler!

Shanghai Photos on Flickr

2008-06-21T10:08:00.004Z

I finally got a few of my pics from Shanghai up on Flickr, and I hope to upload more from my time in China soon. Click here to check out some of my Shanghai pics.

Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008

Emiana's China Photos on Flickr

2008-06-19T15:15:00.005Z

How does she do it? I'm still Photoshoppin' around with my pics from our trip to China and my better half, Emiana, has already posted a whole China set on Flickr. In fact, she's already been contacted by a Chinese blogger who posted one of her pics as part of a fulue.com post about the similarities of cinnamon and the Beijing Olympic torch. Neat.

Click here to view Emiana's China set on Flickr.

Beijing Graffiti (Juxtapoz)

2008-06-13T16:46:00.000Z

Photos: Beijing Graffiti
Chris Osburn, UK Correspondent
Juxtapoz
Friday, 13 June 2008

Osburn reports, “Similar to Shanghai, Beijing doesn't appear to have much graffiti, particularly for a city of its immense size. Still, if you know where to look, there's plenty to see. One brilliant part of town to view street art is the 798 Art Zone, an abandoned military electronics complex that's now one of Beijing's handful of thriving artist districts.”

Click here for complete post and all the photos.

Bruce Springsteen on New Jersey

2008-05-21T05:56:00.000Z

I did my stint in the Garden State ... and loved it. Heck, the missus and I still own property there and have planned what seems to have become our annual trip back for the end of the summer (perfect time to visit the Shore). Despite the fact that NJ is the butt of many a stupid joke, with respect to my love of Jersey, I'm in good company. Here's the Boss at his induction into the New Jersey Hall of Fame, sharing his thoughts about growin' up in New Jersey:

When I first got the letter I was to be inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame I was a little suspicious. New Jersey Hall of Fame? Does New York have a hall of fame? Does Connecticut have a hall of fame? I mean, maybe they don't think they need one.

But then I ran through the list of names: Albert Einstein, Bruce Springsteen ... my mother's going to like that. She's here tonight. It's her birthday and it's the only time she's going to hear those two names mentioned in the same sentence, so I'm going to enjoy it.

When I was recording my first album, the record company spent a lot of money taking pictures of me in New York City. But ... something didn't feel quite right. So I was walking down the boardwalk one day, stopped at a souvenir stand and bought a postcard that said "Greetings from Asbury Park." I remember thinking, "yeah, that's me."

With the exception of a few half years in California, my family and I have raised our kids here. We have a big Italian-Irish family. I found my own Jersey girl right here in Asbury Park . I've always found it deeply resonant holding the hands of my kids on the same streets where my mom held my hand, swimming in the same ocean and taking them to visit the same beaches I did as a child. It was also aplace that really protected me. It's been very nurturing. I could take my kids down to Freehold, throw them up on my shoulders and walk along the street with thousands of other people on Kruise Night with everybody just going, "hey Bruce...." That was something that meant alot to me, the ability to just go about my life. I really appreciated that.

You get a little older and when one of those crisp fall days come along in September and October, my friends and I slip into the cool water of the Atlantic Ocean . We take note that there are a few less of us as each year passes. But the thing about being in one place your whole life is that they're all still around you in the water. I look towards the shore and I see my two sons and my daughter pushing their way through the waves. And on the beach there's a whole batch of new little kids running away from the crashing surf like time itself.

That's what New Jersey is for me. It's a repository of my time on earth. My memory, the music I've made, my friendships, my life ... it's all buried here in a box somewhere in the sand down along the Central Jersey coast. I can't imagine having it any other way.

So let me finish with a Garden State benediction. Rise up my fellow New Jerseyans, for we are all members of a confused but noble race. We, of the state that will never get any respect. We, who bear the coolness of the forever uncool. The chip on our shoulders of those with forever something to prove. And even with this wonderful Hall of Fame, we know that there's another bad Jersey joke coming just around the corner.

But fear not. This is not our curse. It is our blessing. For this is what imbues us with our fighting spirit. That we may salute the world forever with the Jersey state bird, and that the fumes from our great northern industrial area to the ocean breezes of Cape May fill us with the raw hunger, the naked ambition and the desire not just to do our best, but to stick it in your face. Theory of relativity anybody? How about some electric light with your day? Or maybe a spin to the moon and back? And that is why our fellow Americans in the other 49 states know, when the announcer says "and now in this corner, from New Jersey ...." they better keep their hands up and their heads down, because when that bell rings, we're coming out swinging. God Bless the Garden State.

Photography courtesy of NJ - Library Events' photostream on Flickr.

Delta + Northwest = World's Biggest Carrier

2008-04-15T07:41:00.001Z

US merger forms 'largest airline'
Rival US companies Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines have agreed to merge in a $5bn (£2.5bn) deal that will create the world's biggest carrier.
BBC News
Page last updated at 07:24 GMT, Tuesday, 15 April 2008 08:24 UK

The new airline, to be called Delta, will have annual revenue of more than $35bn and employ about 75,000 staff.

Click here for complete article.

Easter Weekend in Marrakech (PhotoBox)

2008-04-12T08:52:00.005Z

Here's a post I wrote for PhotoBox about my trip to Morocco. Enjoy!

Easter weekend in Marrakech
Chris Osburn, PhotoBox Blogger
PhotoBox Blog
April 9, 2008

The long Easter weekend found me in Marrakech and Morocco’s Atlas Mountains with my better half, Emiana. Most of the time she was in charge of our ‘main’ camera, a Nikon D70S (a few years old and we still love it!) ... However, I actually found myself in control of the Nikon while Emiana haggled with a snake charmer in Marrakech’s famous Place Jemaa el Fna.

Click here for complete post.

Marrakech Photography: Untitled

2008-04-10T21:21:00.001Z

Untitled
Photography by Emiana © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Click here to see more of Emiana's Morocco photos on Flickr.

Marrakech Photography: From Pakistan with Love

2008-04-09T21:17:00.001Z

From Pakistan with Love
Photography by Emiana © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Click here to see more of Emiana's Morocco photos on Flickr.

1000+ American Airlines Flights Cancelled

2008-04-09T10:02:00.002Z

American Airlines grounds flights
American Airlines has cancelled more than 1,000 flights after grounding its MD-80 aircraft to conduct extra safety inspections on wiring.
BBC News
Page last updated at 19:39 GMT, Wednesday, 9 April 2008 20:39 UK

American Airlines said there could be more cancellations after Wednesday as it continued to check its fleet of MD-80 aircraft.

Click here for complete article.

Marrakech Photography: Footie

2008-04-08T21:12:00.001Z

Footie
Photography by Emiana © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Click here to see more of Emiana's Morocco photos on Flickr.

Marrakech Photography: Tagines

2008-04-07T20:02:00.006Z

Tagines
Photography by Emiana © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Click here to see more of Emiana's Morocco photos on Flickr.

In Flight Mobile Calls on European Flights

2008-04-07T16:11:00.004Z

Could be a dream come true should you need to make a call or a nightmare if you find yourself sitting next to a blabbermouth!

Europe clears mobiles on aircraft
Mobile phone calls will be allowed on planes flying in European airspace under new European Commission rules.
BBC News
Page last updated at 10:27 GMT, Monday, 7 April 2008 11:27 UK

The decision means that mobiles could be used once a plane has reached an altitude of 3,000m or more.

Click here for complete article.

Marrakech Photography: Antique Cat

2008-04-06T19:57:00.004Z

Antique Cat
Photography by Emiana © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Click here to see more of Emiana's Morocco photos on Flickr.

Marrakech Short Film: Cheeky Kid in the Atlas Mountains, Morocco

2008-04-06T15:55:00.002Z

Kid on the side of the road in the Atlas Mountains, Morocco. Very cheeky.

Marrakech Photography: Les Jardins Majorelle

2008-04-05T19:51:00.002Z

Les Jardins Majorelle
Photography by Emiana © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Click here to see more of Emiana's Morocco photos on Flickr.

Marrakech Short Film: Jemaa El Fna JAM

2008-04-05T16:17:00.002Z

Video of a phenomenal street musician in Marrakech, Morroco's famous night market at Place Jemaa El Fna:

Freshly Packed Suitcase Full of Misery at T5

2008-04-05T03:01:00.000Z

Fresh baggage woes at Terminal 5
Hopes of Heathrow's Terminal 5 operating its first full schedule of flights have been scuppered by a new glitch with the baggage system.
BBC News
Page last updated at 13:19 GMT, Saturday, 5 April 2008 14:19 UK

Airport operator BAA's computer system which sorts bags before they are loaded onto flights malfunctioned and manual sorting had to be carried out.

Click here for complete article.

Marrakech Photography: Hotel

2008-04-04T19:47:00.002Z

Hotel
Photography by Emiana © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Click here to see more of Emiana's Morocco photos on Flickr.

Marrakech Photography: Medersa Ben Youssef

2008-04-03T19:42:00.002Z

Medersa Ben Youssef
Photography by Emiana © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Click here to see more of Emiana's Morocco photos on Flickr.

Marrakech Photography: Sweet Ride

2008-04-02T19:36:00.005Z

Sweet Ride
Photography by Emiana © 2008
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Click here to see more of Emiana's Morocco photos on Flickr.

Don't Mess with Disney!

2008-04-02T08:03:00.002Z

As American as Disney and Motherhood
Attack the nation's icons at your peril.
Compiled by Moira Redmond
Slate
Posted Tuesday, April 1, 2008, at 10:28 AM ET

"I found mini-France [at Disney World] a lot more enjoyable than actual France" and "Real life is over-rated."

Click here for complete article.

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Adult Disney Fans Have No Idea How Ridiculous They Are
By Hunter Walker
Gridskipper
6:07 PM on Tue Apr 1 2008

Slate has gotten a ton of reader feedback following their trip to Disney World last month. Most of the angry readers are pissed off that Slate would dare disrespect the "Disney Experience." One Disney zealot chimed in to say that they felt Slate piece was a major injustice on the order of the Iraq War ...

Click here for complete post.

British Airways to Cancel More T5 Flights

2008-03-30T17:47:00.000Z

BA to cancel hundreds more flights from T5
By Kevin Done, Aerospace Correspondent
Financial Times
Published: March 30 2008 17:33 Last updated: March 30 2008 17:33

British Airways expects to cancel hundreds more flights at its global hub at London Heathrow airport this week, as it battles to overcome baggage handling and other operating problems at its showpiece £4.3bn Terminal 5.

Click here for complete article.

T5 Nightmare Continues

2008-03-29T11:12:00.001Z

What did go wrong at Terminal 5?
Seventy flights have been cancelled in the last two days as teething problems at Heathrow Airport's new Terminal 5 caused chaos. But what actually went wrong?
BBC News
Page last updated at 18:43 GMT, Friday, 28 March 2008

The problems appear to be due to a combination of factors.

Click here for complete article.

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BA promising Terminal 5 fix soon
The Press Association - 1 hour ago
BA has moved to reassure air passengers contemplating a third day of travel chaos at Heathrow's Terminal Five (T5) by revealing that just 37 flights would ...

British Airways boss Willie Walsh refuses to quit after Heathrow chaos
Mirror.co.uk, UK - 1 hour ago
Arch-rivals Virgin Atlantic stuck the boot in, saying BA had been given a wonderful gift with T5 "but they couldn't unwrap it properly". ...

Disruption at T5 enters third day
BBC News, UK - 2 hours ago
Cancelled flights, a temporary suspension in luggage check-in and baggage delays blighted the opening day of T5 on Thursday, leaving many passengers ...

Day 2 At T5 .. And It's Business As Usual
Glasgow Daily Record, UK - 3 hours ago
Scheduled flights from Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen were axed as T5 saw a second day of long queues, cancellations and baggage delays. ...

SEEING RED IN STYLE
Mirror.co.uk, UK - 3 hours ago
In fact the staff at T5 were faultless - impossibly patient, relentlessly cheerful and endearingly helpful. All in all, it was a very British day out - 18 ...

COMPO TO COST DEAR
Mirror.co.uk, UK - 3 hours ago
The T5 debacle will cost BA millions - but it may try to get some of the cash back from the British Airports Authority, which technically runs the building. ...

ERRORS PILED UP ALL DAY
Mirror.co.uk, UK - 3 hours ago
When they finally got into T5, a programming error meant staff could not log into the baggage handling computer. Passengers arrived to find check-ins ...

T5 Nightmare

2008-03-28T10:14:00.000Z

Baggage halted at new £4.3bn T5
Flights from Heathrow's new £4.3bn Terminal 5 are departing with hand baggage only after luggage check-in was suspended due to technical problems.
BBC News
Last Updated: Thursday, 27 March 2008, 19:43 GMT

British Airways, which has sole use of T5, announced check-in of all hold luggage was suspended until Friday. The airline has already cancelled 34 flights because of baggage system problems and passengers have had to wait up to four hours for luggage.

Click here for complete article.

Heathrow's T5 Opens to Public

2008-03-27T08:31:00.001Z

Heathrow's T5 open to passengers
Heathrow's new Terminal 5 has opened to the public as British Airways begins operating from the building.
BBC News
Last Updated: Thursday, 27 March 2008, 07:59 GMT

A BA flight from Hong Kong was the first to arrive at the £4.3bn facility. The first departure was at 0620 GMT, when a service left for Paris.

Click here for complete article.

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'Hassle Heathrow' new terminal opens
CNN International - 44 minutes ago
With 60 aircraft stands actually attached to two new buildings, "T5" can handle dozens of planes at the same time -- including the new Airbus A380 ...

Terminal 5 opens its doors
Guardian, UK - 7 minutes ago
Travellers on the first arrival at T5, flight BA026 from Hong Kong, reported no major problems with baggage or long queues at immigration - two of the ...

Heathrow's T5 Adds Passengers, Fails to Stop Delays (Update1)
Bloomberg - 1 minute ago``T5 was actually designed in the early 1990s and so is already out of date,'' Steve Ridgway, Virgin's chief executive officer, said in an e-mailed response ...

BAA axes T5 fingerprinting plan
Guardian, UK - 4 hours ago
Airport operator BAA will not be taking fingerprints of passengers using Heathrow's £4.3 billion Terminal 5 (T5) following doubts over the legality of such ...

Flash mob demo expected as T5 opens The Press Association
Heathrow T5 opens amid tight security Reuters UK
Protests planned as T5 opens for business ITN
TeleText - MSNBC all 321 news articles »

Cannes Photography: Depart

2008-03-27T06:00:00.000Z

Depart
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing travel photography to this blog? Click here for details.

Cannes Photography: Untitled

2008-03-26T09:46:00.000Z

Untitled
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing travel photography to this blog? Click here for details.

Cannes Photography: You and Me

2008-03-25T09:42:00.002Z

You and Me
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing travel photography to this blog? Click here for details.

Cannes Photography: Spider-Duck

2008-03-24T09:40:00.002Z

Spider-Duck
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
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Cannes Photography: Royal Cone

2008-03-23T09:32:00.001Z

Royal Cone
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing travel photography to this blog? Click here for details.

Cannes Photography: Malmaison Access

2008-03-22T09:18:00.000Z

Malmaison Access
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing travel photography to this blog? Click here for details.

Cannes Photography: Palm Beach Portrait

2008-03-21T10:28:00.000Z

Palm Beach Portrait
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing travel photography to this blog? Click here for details.

Cannes Photography: Merry-Go-Pirate

2008-03-20T09:25:00.000Z

Merry-Go-Pirate
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing travel photography to this blog? Click here for details.

Internship Opportunity on Molokai

2008-03-19T10:03:00.004Z

From craigslist: a potentially great opportunity in a wonderful place for the right person!

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Attention journalism majors and adventurous souls!

Reply to: job-609369517@craigslist.org
Date: 2008-03-17, 8:47PM GMT

An opportunity awaits you on the beautiful Hawaiian island of Molokai. The Molokai Times offers regular four-month internships for journalism students interested in refining their craft. Besides running the newspaper of record for the island, we also operate KMKK radio, the island’s only FM radio station. We also have an active multimedia website, www.molokaitimes.com. Our summer internships begin in late April and run through September. We can be flexible with the dates to accommodate school schedules. If this sounds like an intriguing opportunity, e-mail a resume, samples of your work and the dates you are available to editor@molokaitimes.com.
This internship is unpaid, however housing is provided.

Location: Hawaii
Compensation: Housing, some food.
This is an internship job
Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
Phone calls about this job are ok.
Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

PostingID: 609369517

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Click here for the original post.

Cannes Photography: London Antiques Cannes

2008-03-19T09:14:00.006Z

London Antiques Cannes
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing travel photography to this blog? Click here for details.

Cheap Flights to London (Travelocity and United)

2008-03-18T09:12:00.001Z

From the Travelocity website:

Round-Trip Flights From $341+
As the days grow warmer and that famous fog begins to lift, London bursts into full bloom. Now is the perfect moment to visit this storied city with United's round-trip flights from $341+. Book today and take a jolly holiday before the summer crowds arrive.

- Tickets must be issued by March 26, 2008.
- Outbound travel must completed by May 15, 2008.
- Fares are valid for travel Monday - Wednesday.
- See Terms and Conditions for advance purchase requirements.

Click here for more info at Travelocity (and let me know if you're coming for a visit!).

Cannes Photography: Croisette

2008-03-18T07:26:00.000Z

Croisette
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing travel photography to this blog? Click here for details.

Western Tourist's Report of Protest in Lhasa, Tibet

2008-03-17T09:05:00.003Z

Lhasa eyewitness: 'City in cinders'
After days of violent street protests, a Western tourist in Lhasa, who wishes to remain anonymous, describes a tense, deserted city firmly in the hands of the Chinese military.

BBC News
Last Updated: Sunday, 16 March 2008, 18:12 GMT

Some tourists who were in the east were forcibly removed from their hotels and hostels. Police turned up today and tried to forcibly remove all of us to a hotel further out west ... Our hostel was largely occupied by Chinese people and they were panic-stricken. They armed themselves with anything they could find; beer bottles, meat cleavers. They started to break chairs and windows to arm themselves.

Click here for complete article.

Cannes Photography: Dog City

2008-03-17T07:21:00.000Z

Dog City
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing travel photography to this blog? Click here for details.

Long Branch Beaches among the Best?

2008-03-16T12:11:00.002Z

What am I missing? I mean, don't get me wrong, Long Branch is a great place (and one I always thought was a bit underrated) but one of Travel & Leisure magazine’s list of 20 Great American Beaches? I don't get it. Anyway, interesting article. Poor Asbury Park - out in the cold yet again.

Where Leasing Beats Selling
By ANTOINETTE MARTIN
New York Times
Published: March 16, 2008

The club has been wildly popular, by all accounts, and last year gained Long Branch a spot on Travel & Leisure magazine’s list of 20 Great American Beaches. “That was amazing, given what the place was, like, only about five or six years before that,” Mr. Barry said.

Click here for complete article.

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Long Branch Windmill
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008

Cannes Photography: City Dog

2008-03-16T09:47:00.003Z

City Dog
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing travel photography to this blog? Click here for details.

Paris Short Film: Liberty Fades

2008-03-15T10:46:00.000Z

Very short clip shot at the Statue of Liberty in Paris (yes, there's a Statue of Libery in Paris too). What's interesting is how the statue's shadow cast upon the bridge behind it fades in and out. Kinda neat.

Cannes Photography: Cannes-struction

2008-03-15T09:41:00.004Z

Cannes-struction
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing travel photography to this blog? Click here for details.

Cannes Photography: 9 Cannes

2008-03-14T09:36:00.003Z

9 Cannes
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
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Cannes Photography: Boutique

2008-03-13T09:13:00.001Z

Boutique
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
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Cannes Photography: 25 le B

2008-03-12T09:08:00.002Z

25 le B
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
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Cannes Photography: All that Glitters

2008-03-11T09:02:00.003Z

All that Glitters
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing travel photography to this blog? Click here for details.

Trans-Atlantic leg room and high attendent to passenger ratio

2008-03-06T01:57:00.006Z

Airline Commits 'Eco-Crime'
Trans-Atlantic flight arrives in London with just FIVE passengers on board
eTurboNews
Mar 05, 2008

Furious environmental campaigners have hit out at an airline that sent a plane on a 4,000-mile journey with just five passengers on board.

Click here for complete post.

Photography by Cubbie_n_Vegas via Flickr.

Paris Short Film: Eiffel Tower Quickie

2008-03-05T13:31:00.000Z

Just a quick shot while in passing through the base of this Parisian landmark.

Paris Short Film: L'Art du Bain

2008-03-04T09:15:00.002Z

Shot early on a Sunday morning from a hotel window in the 16th Arrodisment of Paris. The subject had been standing there for some time before I ever started looking out of the window and was there at least a minute or two before I grabbed my camcorder. Sad.

Biofuel's Virgin Flight

2008-02-24T10:58:00.002Z

Airline in first biofuel flight
The first flight by a commercial airline to be powered partly by biofuel is to take off from Heathrow airport.
BBC News
Last Updated: Sunday, 24 February 2008, 09:36 GMT

Billed as a green fuel breakthrough, the Virgin Atlantic flight to Amsterdam will not have any passengers on board.

Click here for complete article.

End is near in Cuba?

2008-02-23T10:36:00.006Z

Tourism 'golden era' ends in Cuba
Travellers interested in visiting Cuba are being advised to go now before an invasion of American tourists begins
From Times Online
February 21, 2008

Tour operators believe that the US travel embargo of Cuba could be lifted in the wake of this week's announcement that Fidel Castro is stepping down - ending a “golden era” of tourism to the Caribbean island.

Click here for complete article.

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Make sure to check out ontoTravel's own photo rich report on Havana, Cuba: "Cocktail Culture" by John Hardcastle about his experiences during May Day 2007.

Photography by John Hardcastle © 2007

Expat Perspective - Chris in Freiburg - Berlin

2008-02-18T19:13:00.009Z

Welcome to the latest instalment of Expat Perspective, a new series of posts by guest writers who come from X but are living long term in Y. Here's the latest post from Chris Mavergames, an American librarian who's recently settled into family life in Southern Germany.

I just visited a friend in Berlin. The last time I was there was the summer of 1997 while on a backpacking trip through 9 countries and at least as many cities in Western Europe and found Berlin to be my favorite. So much has changed there in the last 10 years that I hardly recognized entire areas of the city and it was as if I had never been here before. Examples: Potsdamer Platz: from dirt field trying to be a construction site to a "Times Square" experience; Oraniengburgstr. in Mitte: from no streetlights and buildings still slightly in rubble to swank cafes and restaurants. My friend lives in the Tiergarten in the Hansaviertel, an area dotted with utopian architecture from the 50s and 60s. My friend lives in one of these strange high-rise buildings (see picture).

I spent my week there re-introducing myself to the neighborhoods of Kreuzberg, Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg and Schöneberg. Also, I visited the glass dome, cupola, atop the Reichstag, actually formally referred to as the Bundestag now, something I would highly recommend anyone visiting Berlin to do, for the views alone. Other highlights included: Victoria Park in Kreuzberg, farmer's market in Schöneberg (Sat. and Wed.), the glass box bar on Karl-Marx-Allee, Alt Berlin in Mitte, coffee or lunch at Cafe Adler, a famous cafe from the Cold War era, a walk in the Tiergarten - hell, a walk anywhere - Berlin is an excellent walking city and a half-day trip to Potsdam, which I didn't have time for but came so highly-recommended that I am comfortable passing the recommendation on to others. Finally, a slightly amusing note for any Americans reading, I voted while I was there in Presidential primary, upstairs at a restaurant called Max and Moritz in Kreuzberg. The food is excellent there by the way!

TSA blogs about security and how to cope with airport security checks

2008-02-18T18:59:00.006Z

Fight Or Flight
On the Media
NPR
February 15, 2008

Frustrated with the liquid ban while flying? Too bad. Wondering why the Transportation Security Administration can strip search you? Good luck with that. That is, until now. The TSA has started a blog and security expert and TSA critic Bruce Schneier thinks it may usher in a new era of understanding between the government and the jet set.

Click here to visit the On the Media website.
Click here to visit Evolution of Security, the TSA's blog.

Expat Perspective: Kimberly in Shanghai - "Razed"

2008-02-17T17:40:00.005Z

Welcome to Expat Perspective, a series of posts by guest writers who come from X but are living long term in Y. Here's one from Kimberly, an American living and working in Shanghai ... and doing her best to document the rapidly changing cityscape. Thanks Kimberly!

Shanghai is tearing down old neighborhoods like crazy. Literally one day there is an old compound and the next it has been razed. I went walking around one of these razed compounds the other day and my friend snapped this shot.

Abu Dhabi's green city: Masdar City

2008-02-10T18:23:00.000Z

Work starts on Gulf 'green city'
BBC News, UK - Feb 10, 2008
Abu Dhabi has started to build what it says is the world's first zero-carbon, zero-waste car-free city. Masdar City will cost $22bn (£11.3bn), ...
United Arab Emirates 'green city' to cost $22 bln Guardian Unlimited
UAE starts work on world's first zero-carbon city AFP
Masdar City breaks ground MEED

Work on the first carbon 'free' city begins
NEWS.com.au, Australia - Feb 10, 2008
Masdar City will be designed to ensure residents do not need personal vehicles. Instead there will be an emission-free public transport system. ...

Abu Dhabi's Masdar Initiative Breaks Ground on City of the Future
FOXBusiness - Feb 6, 2008
Leading architects and engineers have come together from around the world to design Masdar City, which will save more than $2 billion of oil over 25 years ...

Be extra careful packing for Dubai

2008-02-08T14:37:00.000Z

Thanks to Emiana for passing on this Sky News article:

How Dubai Holiday Could Land You In Jail
By Julia Reid
Sky News
Updated:10:47, Friday February 08, 2008

Fair Trials International is advising travellers to "take extreme caution" to ensure they are completely free of any substance banned by the country they are visiting.

Click here for complete article.

Supersonic all the way to Oz (in only 5 hours!)

2008-02-06T15:03:00.000Z

The hypersonic plane designed to reach Australia in under five hours
UK firm unveils exploratory plans for 3,000mph eco-friendly passenger jet
Steven Morris
The Guardian
Tuesday February 5 2008

... a hypersonic passenger plane that could fly to Australia from northern Europe in less than five hours has been designed in Britain. With funding from the European Space Agency, a team of engineers and scientists has come up with the A2, a plane they believe could carry 300 passengers at a top speed of more than 3,000mph.

Click here for complete article.

Londonist Shortlisted for 2008 Bloggies (Please Vote!)

2008-01-25T20:06:00.000Z

As some of you may know, I became Londonist's Food & Drink Editor a few weeks ago. The cool thing is, I accepted the position just as Londonist got shortlisted for the 2008 Bloggies in the category of Best European Weblog category!

Click here to read the original Londonist post about the nomination.

Voting will close at 10:00 PM EST on Thursday, January 31. The winners will be posted on Monday, March 10.

Click here to cast your vote (please).

Kauai Short Film: Nene!

2008-01-23T14:05:00.000Z

Here's another video from my recent visit to Kauai. This one is of the Hawaiian state bird, the nene, at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge on Kauai. The video is set to Arthur Lyman's version of the classic Hawaiian song, "Hii Lawe."

Kauai Short Film: Please Do Not Lean on Me ... Mahalo

2008-01-22T14:19:00.000Z

Santa surprised me with a camcorder, which was going to come in handy during my New Years visit to Kauai. Unfortunately, a punk rock menehune stole the camera early in the trip. But, just before I was to leave the island, a DVD appeared in the glove box of my rental car with the following footage on it:

Can't watch it? Click here.

Kauai Photography: Over the Rainbow

2008-01-21T14:15:00.000Z

Kauai Photography: Over the Rainbow
Photography by Emiana © 2008
Interested in contributing travel photography to this blog? Click here for details.

Kauai Photography: Kalalau Lookout

2008-01-20T14:09:00.000Z

Kauai Photography: Kalalau Lookout
Photography by Emiana © 2008
Interested in contributing travel photography to this blog? Click here for details.

Kauai Photography: Hanalei Bay

2008-01-19T14:06:00.000Z

Kauai Photography: Hanalei Bay
Photography by Emiana © 2008
Interested in contributing travel photography to this blog? Click here for details.

Kauai Photography: Tough Decisions at Kapaa's Kountry Kitchen

2008-01-18T14:03:00.000Z

Kauai Photography: Tough Decisions at Kapaa's Kountry Kitchen
Photography by Emiana © 2008
Interested in contributing travel photography to this blog? Click here for details.

Kauai Photography: Saimin

2008-01-17T13:57:00.000Z

Kauai Photography: Saimin
Photography by Emiana © 2007
Interested in contributing travel photography to this blog? Click here for details.

Kauai Photography: Hanapepe Swinging Bridge

2008-01-16T07:06:00.000Z

Kauai Photography: Hanapepe Swinging Bridge
Photography by Emiana © 2007
Interested in contributing travel photography to this blog? Click here for details.

Kauai Photography: Sea Monster

2008-01-15T03:54:00.000Z

Kauai Photography: Sea Monster
Photography by Emiana © 2007
Interested in contributing travel photography to this blog? Click here for details.

Kauai Photography: No Inter-Species Mingling

2008-01-14T22:55:00.000Z

No Inter-Species Mingling
Photography by Emiana © 2007
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Kauai Photography: Message fo da Tourists

2008-01-13T22:51:00.000Z

Message fo da Tourists
Photography by Emiana © 2007
Interested in contributing travel photography to this blog? Click here for details.

Kauai Photography: Not Bad

2008-01-12T09:46:00.001Z

Not Bad
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing travel photography to this blog? Click here for details.

Kauai Photography: Land of Plenty

2008-01-11T04:22:00.000Z

Land of Plenty
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
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Kauai Photography: Milkman with the Kiss of Cream

2008-01-10T23:20:00.000Z

Milkman with the Kiss of Cream
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing travel photography to this blog? Click here for details.

Kauai Photography: Shave Ice Stand

2008-01-09T23:16:00.000Z

Shave Ice Stand
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing travel photography to this blog? Click here for details.

Kauai Photography: Menehune Ditch

2008-01-08T23:48:00.000Z

Menehune Ditch
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing travel photography to this blog? Click here for details.

Kauai Photography: At the End of the Road

2008-01-07T22:46:00.000Z

At the End of the Road
Photography by Emiana © 2007
Interested in contributing travel photography to this blog? Click here for details.

Kauai Photography: Kapu

2008-01-06T22:42:00.000Z

Kapu
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2008
Interested in contributing travel photography to this blog? Click here for details.

In-Flight and Online

2007-12-12T10:00:00.000Z

Airlines add in-flight Web access
JetBlue has begun to offer in-flight Web access. Frequent fliers say the temptation to go online will be overwhelming, but that's not necessarily a good thing.
By ANICK JESDANUN, Associated Press
Miami Herald
Posted on Wed, Dec. 12, 2007

On Tuesday, JetBlue Airways began offering e-mail and instant messaging on one of its aircraft. Broader high-speed services, including Web surfing, are to come next year on some flights on American Airlines, Virgin America and Alaska Airlines.

Click here for complete article.

Three Kings at Light Gallery in Costa Mesa, California

2007-12-03T19:34:00.001Z

Three Kings Opening Reception
December 15th
Light Gallery
440 East 17th Street
Costa Mesa (within waliking distance of La Cave and the Little Knight)
December 15-January 5th

You heard it right! Ken Ruzic,Clysdalle and Big Toe have combined forces to bring you a pre-Holiday Show Extravaganza! More great art there than you can shake a stick at (if that's your thing...shaking sticks at paintings...)!

http://myspace.com/tom_laura
http://www.davidlozeau.com/
http://www.kenruzic.com/

Hollywood: Tiki Ti

2007-11-23T23:10:00.000Z

Tiki Ti
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2007
Interested in contributing travel photography to this blog? Click here for details.

Hollywood: kmart

2007-11-22T23:05:00.000Z

kmart
Photography by Chris Osburn © 2007
Interested in contributing travel photography to this blog? Click here for details.