Argophilia

Αργοφιλία: For the love of the journey.

A Real Russia Discovery: Kola Peninsula’s Deep Secrets

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Have you ever wondered where the deepest place on Earth where humans have ventured is? No, it’s not the Dead Sea, nor is the Mariana Trench the deepest hole on our planet. Down deep beneath even Challenger Deep where only Bathyscaphes go, the Kola Superdeep Borehole is humankind’s deepest adventure toward the center of Earth.

Summer Hotel Ideas: Grand Hotel Poltu Quatu in Sardinia, Where Else?

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Every week we spotlight great hotels and destinations you may not come across via TripAdvisor or other travel portal. Sardinia is just such a vacation wonderland, often overlooked in favor or more visible and populist destinations. And, Port Cervo’s Grand Hotel Poltu Quatu is a double shot of sometimes undiscovered travel bliss. Here’s how come.

Coast Hotels Rebrands in Purple

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Marking their 40th year in business, Coast Hotels has launched a re-branding campaign entitled “Coast Hotels Paints the Town Purple.” The international hotel chain offers accommodations ranging from classic bygone era stays to cutting edge 21st Century business digs. Not only has the hotel brand renovated their brand, but their hotels and their website as well.

Eurovision 2013 Final Set: An Inferno of Talent

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The second semi-final of Eurovision 2013 took place last night in Malmo. Ten winners move forward to this weekend’s Grand Final that will reveal Europe’s best performer and song of the year. This year’s contest is loaded with more talent than any previous contest in memory, but a lot more by way of political and artistic expressiveness too.

Croatia Flux: Airline Strikes, Railway Disenchantment, and Smugglers, Etc.

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As the Croatia Airlines strike heads into its fourth day Croatia’s Minister of Transport, Sinisa Hajdas Doncic (below) has said the carrier may go bankrupt if a restructuring plan set in motion is off the table. Meanwhile some 200 Railway Workers Union members protested outside government offices in St. Mark’s Square in Zagreb on Wednesday. By the looks of things Croatia is headed to EU membership carry some unclaimed transportation luggage.

Travel Belarus: Down On the Belarusian Farm Style

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While not the most notorious form of vacationing on Earth, farm tourism is an ever increasingly popular traveler activity in Belarus. According to a study released by the government there, this form of tourism is actually going quite viral. Svetlana Shevchenko, Deputy Head of the Central Office for Natural Persons Taxation of the Belarusian Tax Ministry there told a recent conference that farm tourism has actually increased by a factor or 15 in the last five years.

Europeans Proclaim: “Central America or Bust This Summer”

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As far as world beaches go, apparently many out there choose Cancun as the choice of beach getaways for Summer 2013. According to Orbitz the No. 1 international Summer beach hotspot is the legendary Spring Break destination in Mexico. Mexico and Central America are not only heating up temperature wise this Summer, but visitation wise.

Travel in Europe: Don’t Be Caught Dead Migrating

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Two news bits today concerning Germany’s disposition toward migrants and visitors draw further attention to key Schengen and visa discussion. A report via EurActiv speaks to one side of the German and EU PR aspect, the Roma people being the subject on the one hand. At the other end of Germany’s public relations woes, news that second generation Turks in Germany are headed home suggest the German state is in an exclusivity mood toward some.

Putin’s Russia Vision Continues: The New Mariinsky Theatre

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Visitors to St. Petersburg interested in the arts will now be able to enjoy a fabulous new Mariinsky Theatre, a showplace reminiscent of the golden age of Russian arts. Opened last week by President Vladimir Putin at a star studded gala, the new building of the theater is considered by many a symbol of Russia’s re-emergence as a cultural and economic giant. Under the personal patronage of Putin, the Imperial wealth of Russia is somehow rejuvenated.

Euros Left in the Vapor Trail: Plight of the Single European Sky

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With 27 separate bits of airspace connecting European countries, is it any wonder the the old continent still seems fragmented and inefficient? Well, back in 1999 the European Commission launched a plan termed Single European Sky (SES), aimed at uniting all the airspace to fuel a more efficient air travel industry. The big question today it; “What happened to the plan?”

Beach Tomato Unleashes New Villas Site for Summer

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For the bored or down and out traveler out there, how about “inspirational travel” this Summer season? You don’t know what inspirational travel is, you say? Well, a company called Beach Tomato has launched a new online portal to inspire, and to help satisfy your wanderlust for sandy, seashore, and sunshine bliss this year. BeachTomatoVillas.com is a wide eyed beach stay showcase. Let’s look.