Travel + Wine News: Stories Not to Miss – April 20
Annecy, France / Jonathan Campbell
Picture It!
My Basel, Switzerland-based pal, Jon, is living it up in Annecy, France this weekend. The dude travels every weekend it seems. How do I get his life? Seriously…
A little about Annecy:
The little town sits in the Haute-Savoie department of south eastern France in the region of the Rhone Alpes. The northern tip of Lake Annecy (Lac d’Annecy) is 35 kilometres south of Geneva and is one of the most popular resorts in the French Alps – I wanna go!
Pin It!
Pinterest Users: What’s the World’s Most Beautiful Country?
April, 13, 2012 – Well, I think y’all know my vote! Travel site FirstChoice is putting Pinners to work – select your fave country, create a pin board and illustrate it with all the things that make you love Italy your favorite country. Follow the crowdsourced project to see what countries are tops and why. I dig it – but, like I really need something new to fuel my wanderlust!
Check out my travel pin board dedicated to my 2012 Italy Trip Planning.
Leave a comment or a note on your fave country! We’re always looking to add new locals to our bucket list!
Netflix’s Unlimited Employee Vacation Policy: Why it works
April 13, 2012 – Um, yeah – I want unlimited vaca – hook a sister up. Netflix, ya hiring in marketing? Many a day I’ve caught myself cursing my vacation allotment. In fact, I am pretty sure I do it daily. C’mon, we need more than a couple weeks a year to recharge! Well, it seems that Netflix has gotten it right. Trust your employees, hire pros with integrity, and give ‘em their down time. Sure, there will always be people who abuse, but if done right, they are the ones to get the boot, not the policy. Mashable’s story examines how this company with 900 employees makes it work, how the policy came to be, and why it works.
SOUND OFF: Do you think this can work? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments.
Air Travel Report
The Mystery of the Flying Laptop
April 4, 2012 – So size DOES matter?! Did you know you can get your iPad through security – well, in most places? I’ve never removed my iPad like I do for my laptop. And, why not? I dunno. Cause they said it wasn’t necessary. Well, for NYTimes’ Matt Richtel that simply wasn’t good enough. So, he decided to check it out. Why do some devices require removal and some do not? What exactly is the distinction? He got all sorts of ideas and theories, including girth, battery is/is not removable, screen size. Again, we see there is no rhyme or reason to the rules of the skyway, but we dutifully obey, because we have no other choice. Hmph.
TSA In The News
TSA agent Nabbed as Part of a Sweeping Child Pornography Ring
April 11, 2012 – Another black mark for TSA. The Transportation Security Administration keeps getting hit with scandal after scandal and now, in an even ickier development, a TSA agent who worked at Boston’s Logan International Airport has been nabbed as part of a sweeping child pornography crackdown. The Boston Herald says the man was one of 55 Massachusetts people snared in the effort. He was suspended from his job when his employers became aware of charges against him for the possession and sharing of pornographic images of children.
April 18, 2012 – A peep show at PDX! Earlier this week passengers going through security at the Portland International Airport security checkpoint got a show. According to The Consumerist, a man took off all of his clothes at the TSA checkpoint around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday apparently in protest of what he views as harassment by the agency. While TSA didn’t have to “pat him down” he didn’t save much time given he was arrested for disorderly conduct and indecent exposure and held on $4,000 bond.
Wine & Food Report
U.S. wine prices headed higher for consumers
April 17, 2012 – Well, thank the heavens for Vinho Verde! Looks like gas isn’t the only thing that’s gonna break consumers banks this year. Now, your wine purchases could do ‘er, too. According to Reuters “U.S. consumers are going to be faced with a choice this year: pay more for a bottle of domestic wine, settle for lower quality, or buy cheaper imports…” The expected price hike comes as a result of grape supply declines. Expect to see prices on your California faves climb first, with Oregon and Washington State not far behind. But, good news for winos (like me!) who revel in European wines – they should decline – specifically Spain and Portugal. Do what you gotta do, people – order those cases now, or explore wines that aren’t domestic (you won’t be disappointed!).
Bravissimo! Eat the Italian way
Jan. 19, 2012 – Ya, Pizzeria is easy, but what the heck’s a Polentaria? There
Osteria Vini e Cucina in Bari, Italy
you are on that amazing Italian vacation, you’re pandering around Florence, arguably one of the best places for food EVER and you have no clue where to eat. Trattoria, bar/cafe, osteria, ristorante, and on and on – UNCLE! UNCLE! Lonely Planet helps you feel lonely no more. Check out the definitions, what to expect and where. (and yes, Polentaria is a restaurant specializing in polenta.)
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KTGZQA6TAAYF
Jon Campbell
Excellent work apart from one slight error….I do not travel every weekend and as I have reminded you on multiple occasions……I still haven’t had a proper vacation this year….France was only 3 days!! But apart from that mistake….a very well written blog you have created here so thanks!!
Valerie Quintanilla
I disagree, Mr. Campbell!