mb palaver

MoviePalaver: Angels, Demons, and the Swiss Guard

I went to Angels & Demons with low expectations, looking forward less to the story than to the shots of Rome, where I'm heading tomorrow.  I ended up finding it quite entertaining, give or take some gruesome violence.  And it brought back memories of when I infiltrated the Swiss Guard in 2001.  I only wish we had video of the elaborate ritual they performed when I uncharacteristically brazenly marched up the steps at the Vatican to ask for directions to the entrance to the tour of the necropolis under St. Peter's.  It was quite a spectacle.

TravelPalaver: Prisoner's Dilemma at the Baggage Claim

Air travel is stressful.  You rush to the airport; get stuck behind someone in the security line with lace-up boots; and then window-seat guy insists that you stand up immediately upon landing so he can get out, even though there's no room in the aisle so you both just stand there for seven minutes with your necks parallel to the floor.

But the most maddening thing to me is the anti-social behavior around the baggage claim.  This is particularly annoying on international flights, when people are often traveling in groups with enough luggage to make Lisa Douglas proud.  Instead of standing several feet back from the conveyor belt so that, when someone sees his luggage coming he can step forward, devil-may-care, and grasp it, people (and their Smarte Cartes) hunker down right up against the contraption, so that you wind up running around trying to find an opening to get to your suitcase before it passes by, feeling like someone in a movie  running along a railroad track waving goodbye to her sweetheart as the train carries him off to war.  It makes no sense.  If everyone would cooperate and stay back, everyone would benefit.  But as soon as one fool bellies up to the belt everyone else seems to feel they have to stake their ground there as well. It's sort of a variation of the prisoner's dilemma.

I was telling my older brother Dubliner that the solution to this would be for the airport authority to put a line around the perimeter of the conveyor belt and a sign reading STAND BEHIND THIS LINE.  Sure some scofflaws will ignore it, but just having the sign might appeal to enough travelers' better natures to keep the hovering to a minimum.

Dubliner proposed a slight modification, which my youngest brother, ColumbusBedhead, has illustrated below.  My third brother is an engineer, so if any airports are interested I'm sure he can work something up.  (I am a lawyer so if anyone makes a million dollars off this idea I will see you in court.)

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TravelPalaver: Hello, Columbus

The cover story of a special travel supplement in today's New York Times purports to be about how "Washington is heating up with new energy -- and style," but its helmet-headed models posed stiffly in front of monuments seem to undercut that claim.

In a less begrudging piece, Columbus Cool, Monica Khemsurov shines a light on Columbus, Ohio's "unexpected new profile as a Midwestern style capital."  The article focuses on the Short North district, "a gallery-filled strip of North High Street that’s home to the Wexner Center for the Arts" and boutiques such as Jinny, Rowe, Luxe de Vie, and TigerTree.  It also mentions the new wine bar Marcella's, and restaurants Northstar (for organic cuisine) and Rosendales (for "coffee-and-pepper-crusted steak with grated chocolate and parsnip silk"), finishing up a "short drive" away with Tee Jaye’s Country Place, "a Midwest stalwart where you can order anything on the menu covered in gravy."

According to the Short North website, the next monthly "Gallery Hop" will be held Saturday, October 6:

The first Saturday of every month, thousands of visitors converge on the strip to celebrate art, see the launch of new exhibits, and partake in an evening of sights, sounds, good food, shopping, and fun. Though many shops are open earlier, the Gallery Hop officially starts at 4PM and runs to 10PM with restaurants and bars staying open considerably later.

I'm thinking a visit to my brothers in Columbus is in order soon.  Hold the gravy.

TravelPalaver: Passport Waits and Affordable Europe

If you're planning on taking a trip in the next few months that requires a passport but you don't have one, better not wait until the last minute.  Starting January 23, 2007, a passport is required for U.S. citizens traveling by air to Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda.  According to today's New York Times, as a result of these new requirements the wait to get a passport is expected to increase from the previous 4 to 6 weeks to an estimated 10 weeks.  The article doesn't mention whether the time for renewing a passport has increased, but if you've got a passport that you haven't used in a while, do yourself a favor -- go check the expiration date.  Although the article also talks about companies that will expedite your service for you, even that route isn't worry-free -- and wouldn't you rather spend that worrying on which shoes to pack? The State Department's website includes information about how to apply for or renew a passport.

Today's Times travel section is full of useful information, focusing on affordable trips to Europe, including chic but cheap Paris hotels, less-visited European cities (Valencia, Naples, Zagreb, Bruges), saving money by staying in villas, dining on a budget in London, and where to find great art -- for free --in Rome (love that San Clemente).  (The article on "36 Hours in Dublin" isn't part of the affordable Europe theme, but you don't expect me not to mention that, do you?)   In another article, Matt Gross reviews European budget airlines -- including RyanAir and FlyBaboo (who knew?) -- in "Adventures in Low-Cost Travel."  The article also highlights a booking agent -- flylc.com -- that acts as a one-stop-shop for budget European airlines.

And if you're not taking a trip any time soon, you can travel vicariously through Matt.

TravelPalaver

Years ago I boarded a plane for a 9-hour flight and was chagrined to realize my seat did not recline.  For 9 hours.  If only I'd had SeatGuru.  If your airline will let you choose your seat, SeatGuru can help you make a smart decision.  You simply click on your airline and the particular plane (which is usually listed on your reservation), and SeatGuru will show whether other travelers have rated the seat green (good), yellow (be aware), or red (poor).  Move the mouse over the seat and a blurb will pop up explaining the rating.  It points out things like if the seat is near the restroom, is a window seat with no window, has extra leg room, is chilly, etc.  Once when making a reservation for an international flight I was considering a seat on the aisle of a row of three seats behind a row of four seats.  From the airline's diagram it looked like it would be roomier than usual.  SeatGuru pointed out that since the seat did not line up with the one in front of it the underseat storage and leg room were limited and the seat tray was in the armrest.   The detail is pretty remarkable.  There are limits to what the site can tell you, though -- it can't predict whether Big Head Todd will be sitting between you and the TV screen.

. . . and from the better-late-than-never file, a happy belated birthday to Pudding Man!