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Tuesday, 09 February 2010

Featured Destination


Bhutan
Bhutan: A Sharp Surge in Gross National Happiness

Satiated by Kathmandu’s crowds, smells and chaos, I board the Druk Air flight – the only airline with service to Bhutan, with a sigh of relief. We have been advised to get a seat on the left side of the plane, as to be able to glimpse Everest.

But the constant peering during the hour-long flight is fruitless – all I can see is clouds. Then the pilot announces our imminent descent and, like a scene in a Monty Python film, warns the passengers to stay calm, for no apparent reason. A few minutes of slight panicking later, it is clear why – the clouds remain above us and the plane drops suddenly, verging around the surrounding mountains at such proximity that its wings seem like they will scratch the slopes.
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Epicure


Bulgaria
Pumpkin head!

If you wish to insult somebody in Bulgarian, you could call him tikvenik – a word whose content isn’t quite clear, and which Bulgarians use to mean anything from ‘thickhead’ to ‘airhead’. The good thing about this kind of insult is that it expresses your definite lack of approval, Full Story



News


Albania
Albania Extends Motorised Boats Ban, to Detriment of Tourism

8 February 2010 | In an effort to fight illegal trafficking, Albania’s parliament adopted another three-year ban on the use of motorised boats, which critics say hamper the country’s tourist industry. Full Story

Serbia
Low Cost Flights Make Serbia’s Capital More Visible on Europe’s Tourism Market
Turkey
1,800-Year-Old Greek Church to be Restored in Bodrum, Turkey


Routes Less Travelled


Romania
Bukovina: Romania's Centre of Spirituality

The northern province of Moldova -- known as Bukovina -- is an ethnological and religious enclave intended to symbolize Christianity's triumph against the paganism.

Many of the Bukovina monasteries were built by the Moldavian voivodes as a token of gratitude to God after each victory in battles against the Turks. The unique beauty of their external frescos, which attract thousands of tourists, prompted the UN to enter seven of them on the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites in 1993. Full Story

Romania
Romania’s Haţeg Land: Shades of Blue
Turkey
Turkey: The Troubadours of Allah

Curiosity Chest


Bhutan
A Prayer Carried by the Winds

All over Bhutan – from the cities, by the roads and in villages, one can see colourful pieces of fabric, imprinted with Buddhist images and texts, blowing in the wind. These are prayer flags, unique to the Himalayan branch of Buddhism. The idea behind them is that when the wind blows, it picks up and carries the imprinted prayers to the skies, “for the benefit of all sentient beings."
Full Story




Hidden Sofia


Bulgaria
Jacqueline, Tetris or Zhechka: The Beehive of a Building

Jacqueline is a beauty. She’ll catch your eye with her warm colours and her dynamic silhouette. Built between 2005 and 2008, she is the creation of architects Rositsa and Plamen Bratkovi. Full Story

Bulgaria
The Women’s Market: New Stockings in the Day and Old Found Objects in the Night
Bulgaria
Checkmate in front of the National Theatre, Sofia

Hidden Bulgaria


Bulgaria
From Sofia to the Village of Lakatnik in an Old Locomotive

About a century after Ivan Vazov wrote his short story “To Zhaluysha with Iron Train Cars,” in which he remarked on the great strides in railroad progress and development, present-day journalist, writer and photographer Stefan Galibov also took a train journey Full Story

Bulgaria
Go Green in Bulgaria: 23 Eco-Hotels and Guest Houses to Choose From
Bulgaria
Bulgaria in 5 days: Shumen, South of Nowhere






Balkan Coasts & Mountains


Ararat: The Mountain Where Noah’s Journey Ended

Turkey

Eastern Turkey, 10 kilometres from the Iranian border. The raven-strewn landscape is a barren yellowish red. On one side rises Ararat, the twin-topped dormant volcano that is rightly considered as one of the world’s most impressive sights. Full Story

Ten Things To Do in Pamukkale
Three Weekend Getaway Destinations in Bulgaria


Balkan Towns


The Macedonian Town of Ohrid, Where Time Stopped

Macedonia

Ohrid is slowly leaving behind its past, which embraces Medievalism, Revivalism and Communism. So much the better Full Story

Turkey: Stroll Along Istanbul’s Theodosian Walls
An Incomparable Inertia: Skopje to Saloniki by Rail