Helvetia’s Traum

Back before the astronomical value of the Swiss franc made long visits to Switzerland cost prohibitive, I was lucky enough to spend some quality time in glorious Helvetia. So, it will come as no surprise that I’m smitten by this stunning time-lapse video of Switzerland by night.

Helvetia’s Dream was created by Zurich-based photojournalist Alessandro Della Bella based on one to three hour exposures throughout Switzerland. You can see more and learn about the film’s development at the dedicated website.

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Border Land Hides Street Art Museum

Border Land is an odd appellation for a park in the the heart of a city, but Torino, Italy‘s Parco Ignazio Michelotti now bears that name. Situated along the banks of the River Po, just across from the University of Turin and a short walk from Stazione Porta Nuova, the site of the city’s defunct zoo is now a home for frequent cultural events and also the new Street Art Museum (SAM) .

The once popular Torino Zoo closed in 1987, but now is the backdrop for the outdoor Street Art Museum. Buildings and cages that housed rhinos, elephants, monkeys and 2,500 other animals for decades now serve as legal canvases for international street artists.

H/T to Alex Barnett for the post idea.

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Hey Taxi

While traveling in Europe I try to use public transportation whenever possible, however sometimes a taxi is the best option for a time-sensitive trip. A new Finnish start-up booking service called Cabforce offers taxi services in 25 European cities. Users can book and pay for taxis on the company’s website or through free smartphone apps. The virtual process can help to eliminate the hassles of finding a cab and then negotiating with the driver. While easy and efficient, Cabforce is generally more expensive than simply hailing a taxi or finding one at a taxi stand.

The only European-wide taxi booking service of its kind, Cabforce may be your best option for airport transfers, in-city travel or longer suburban trips. The flat-rate pricing includes the tip, all tolls and miscellaneous fees, like those crazy baggage add-ons, weekend, night and holiday extras.

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We Still Love NY

Millions of New Yorkers have been impacted by Hurrican Sandy, including the city’s arts community. The Chelsea arts district was particularly hard hit by flooding which devastated many galleries and studios.

NYC-based, Chilean-born artist Sebastian Errazuriz has created a series of handprinted t-shirts based on iconic tourist classics. All proceeds from the sales of the ” I Love NY”  and Manhattan MTA map t-shirts go to hurricane relief programs. You can get your t-shirts here.

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First Book

First Book, a nonprofit organization that promotes reading among children of low-income families, has opened a relief fund to provide books to schools and families impacted by Hurricane Sandy. Every $2.50 donation will provide a new book to a child and will be matched by First Book with an additional book.

“Even as first responders are working to provide these families with electricity, water, and other critical resources, First Book is joining forces with our local volunteers and partners to replace hundreds of thousands of lost and destroyed books in schools and libraries in low-income communities,” First Book president and CEO Kyle Zimmer said in a statement.

“In the months to come, as infrastructure is repaired and replaced and families are able to return home, we’ll be there to ensure that kids who lost so much will have the books they need,” said Zimmer.

During the last 20 years, First Book has provided more than 90 million books to children and schools across North America. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Washington D.C.-based group distributed 5 million books to affected families.

You cann help by visiting the First Book website.

 

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Be Prepared

Many of us who live on the East Coast of the United States have been rudely schooled on the importance of being prepared for natural disasters and emergencies. Lots of folks that I know will wish that they had heard of the brilliant little Biolite Campstove before Hurricane Sandy arrived.

  It can cook a meal or boil water with twigs, converts heat into electricity and recharges cell phones, lights and other electronic gadgets. And, it does it all utilizing renewable resources.

I’ve got a feeling that after this week these little gems are on backorder.

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No Dikes Yet

In 2009, the RTL television network in the Netherlands filmed a feature in New York City on a proposal to construct a Dutch-style storm barrier across New York harbor. In light of last week’s visit by Hurricane Sandy, it seems like a damn good idea. (Please note that most of the video in in Dutch)

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There and Back Again

Air New Zealand —the official airline of Middle Earth (really)—recently released a new safety video. Titled An Unexpected Briefing , the video was produced in conjunction with WETA Workshop, which created the special effects for Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The video features cameos by Peter Jackson, Fili the Dwarf, Gollum and J.R.R. Tolkien’s greatgrandson.

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Travel Randomly

Are you a spontaneous traveler? Would you trust a website to randomly plan your travel? If the answer is yes, you might want to give the oddly named “adventure generator” Drungli a try.

Pick your departure city and dates that you want to travel, click on “Take me wherever” and discover where Drungli wants to send you.

The folks at the website say “It is time to escape the tourist type legacy and find more adventurous ways to travel and experience the world!”

Drungli currently is covering European destinations, but plans are in the works for worldwide exposure.

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My Kind of Mayor

I recently heard about  an interesting initiative by the French railway company SNCF. To celebrate its new high-speed line direct from Lyons to Brussels, SNCF recently set up a giant cube to introduce the citizens of Lyons to Belgium’s capital through virtual means.

SNCF’s new high-speed line links Lyons and Brussels directly in just 3 hours and 20 minutes. To celebrate the launch of the new service, SNCF in late September set up a giant white cube in Lyons’ Place de la République. “Put your head here” beckoned a round opening in the cube; when someone looked into the opening, their face was projected via live video feed onto a screen in Brussels. There, the mayor and townspeople of Brussels asked the person their name and welcomed them with a song.

 

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