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Hi from Zagreb!
I spent a lovely week in Spain with my Greek friend Nikos, hoping I would get some much-needed sunshine. And thanks to the deceiving Lanzarote winds, I got it, in the form of some burned skin, together with inflamed sinuses. I would still do it again!
You know I was worried about my hand luggage exceeding Ryanair’s size limit. On my way back from the Canaries, I barely avoided the crew scrutinizing my bag further by strategically holding it on one shoulder further away from their sight. When I sensed they were trying to see what I was carrying, I started to be more vocal about how the scanner seemed to not detect my boarding pass, which was enough to push their attention away and keep fee punishing for some later customers. Phew!
But now I read that the Spanish government hit low-cost airlines, including Ryanair, with fines totaling €150 million for charging passengers extra for cabin luggage. Consumer groups called out the abusive practices, and in the future, even seat selection charging should change.
It’s kind of absurd how I try to deal with the limits of baggage space, and then return to my Zagreb flat only to deal with more life baggage. As I’m moving out, and leaving for new adventures, I realize I can fill a Harry Potter-style room under the staircase to the brim. It’s not much, but then also, it’s a lot. Maybe it’s my own Hogwarts magic in that storage room.
Sitting in an empty flat is a bizarre experience. I called it a home, something I could return to, for 10 years. At the moment, it’s just a chamber of echo, where sound resonates a tad longer after you take all the stuff out.
It’s practically an empty shell now. You know how shells sound: as if they’ve soaked up all the sea waves. If you want to know what shells look like, see them in many forms on X.
There’s much more to our weekly world voyage, but first…
Find this in today’s newsletter:
- Words: Prizes and surprises.
- Images: Say cheese!
- Numbers: The mountain of fees and snails.
- P.S.: If you still haven’t lost your appetite, here’s a discounted meal!
Have a luggage-free week!
Ivan Kralj
Pipeaway.com
Silly Side: Why did the snail carry cheese on its back? To have a little "brie-ak" on the go. Take a slow crawl through our stories and click on the ones that get your heart beating faster!
FEATURE SPOTLIGHT
Cruise That Keeps on Cruising
Villa Vie Odyssey is marketing itself as the world’s first endless cruise. In three and a half years, 300 residents will hop across 147 countries. But in order to experience cruise life, you don’t need to make a life commitment. You can start it slowly, for instance in the European cruise capital of Southampton. This port is much more than just the place Titanic departed from; it’s also a gateway to adventures with a happier end.
SKY LEGENDS
Airline Ratings awarded Qatar Airways for the best business class and the best catering, proclaiming it the airline of the year as well. At the same time, Crystal Cabin Awards recognized the planes of the future, awarding BermudAir for cabin concept, and Qantas for passenger comfort. Without special awards, Bette Nash, the world’s longest-serving flight attendant (67 years of flying!) passed away.
CRAWLING MENU
While it did make it into the top 25 airlines, United Airlines’ maggot meal certainly won’t be garnishing culinary awards. Last week, larvae had a feast in a bag of a passenger landing in Chicago too. Raw African bushmeat, including cow skin and allegedly even a cow’s head, was discovered by a beagle.
POCKET SAFARI
Heading to Europe? According to the pickpocketing index, you should be especially aware of your belongings in Italy (Trevi Fountain, Colosseum, Pantheon, Duomo di Milano, Gallerie Degli Uffizi), France (Eiffel Tower), and Spain (Las Ramblas).
🧀
Dairy-devils gathered in Gloucestershire for the annual cheese-chasing race down the Cooper’s Hill. Check out this dangerous centuries-old rolling tradition in action!
🥖
With much less effort, Parisians got a chance for a free cheese, baguette, and pastries in between. For this special picnic event, Champs-Élysées Avenue was covered by a massive tablecloth, spreading over 4,212 square meters.
🚁
Siena International Photo Awards has shortlisted 45 aerial photographs for the Drone Photo Awards. I still have to launch my freshly bought drone, but I could learn something from Louisa Royer, the videographer who won her first drone pilot award at the age of 8.
€977,430
The amount Venice earned in the first 11 days of applying the new entry fee. The €5 daily tax may be doubled after the trial period ends. The fine for not purchasing the tickets is €300, which is still less than the fine of €2,500 for wearing flip-flops on the Cinque Terre trails. Is Italy falling out of love with tourists?
$168.20
The amenity fee a guest at Hotel Lucia in Portland had to pay for their five-day stay. Another ridiculous junk fee supposedly includes the use of bikes, coffee, and – elevators! If you think the $33.64 daily fee is not that high, know that the hotel will try to sell you a cannabis bundle.
15 tons
A record-breaking quantity of snails eaten at L’Aplec del Caragol, the Spanish festival dedicated to this peculiar slow food.
Local Delicacies at Sliced Prices
We’ve already written extensively about Eatwith, the social dining app that lets you share lunch with locals. But besides delicious meals, now you can treat yourself to nice discounts too. The 5% discount code is available throughout the summer: ETW5_FB. But if you plan to book your Eatwith experience before June 7, and it costs above $220, your discount can be 8% with the promo code eatwithfamily-24. Book your cheaper Eatwith experience here!
This is the archived version of our free weekly newsletter. To start receiving it in your mailbox on the send-out day, join the newsletter list!
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