Among the usual questions about attitudes to the euro and the European Union, people in eight nations (Britain, France, Germany, the Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Poland and Spain) were asked which country in the European Union is the hardest-working. The Greeks ignored the obvious answer (Germany) and instead nominated themselves. (The other seven nations all …
Continue reading “Stereotypes in Europe – hardest working, most corrupt”
The perfect list of European Islands ranked according to 8 factors. Each island is worthy of investigation for many of them are unknown to Americans and yet so full of history. Photos of my favorite three:
The Google World Wonders Project is a platform which brings world heritage sites of the modern and ancient world online. Journey to more than 130 world heritage sites across the globe—like Stonehenge, the Palace and Garden of Versailles, temples of ancient Kyoto or The White City of Tel-Aviv. With videos, photos and in-depth information, you …
There are growing signs of progress in the Middle East, if you measure by the total number of Facebook users. That number has skyrocketed since 2010, going from 15 million to near 40 million. Of those users, a growing number are starting to prefer using the site in their own native language, Arabic. Of the …
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We’re nearly finished filming two new TV shows on Venice. Thinking back over a very productive day, I realize how much I love this work. Our scripts are about 3,400 words per half-hour show. They are split between “on-cameras,” with me talking directly to the camera, and “B-roll,” where we “cover the script” with footage …
Continue reading “Rick Steves episode diary – filming in Venice – an enchanting behind-the-scenes”
Ah, Switzerland. The land of chocolate, cow-bells, skiing and prices that make you want to cry. A place that has built a global brand on providing a safe, risk-free haven for other people’s money and not being disruptive or belligerent. Clean, orderly and wonderfully peaceful — yes, the clichés are true. Not then, you might …
Continue reading “Switzerland – Silicon Alps – joins the start-up ecosystem”
The European Union needs to become more integrated with a common finance policy and a central government, German finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said Wednesday (16 May). “I would be for the further development of the European Commission into a government. I am for the election of a European president, he said at an event in …
Continue reading “European Union needs a President – says German Finance Minister”
The Economist published a barometer of world business according to 1,500 senior executives. It’s a complicated graph but very interesting because it shows North America will once again lead the world out of trouble. Read it as follows, “Balance of respondents expecting:” global business conditions to improve (let side) their companies to have more employees …
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Apple is to hire 500 people in Ireland. The consumer electronics giant will increase the headcount at its European headquarters in the southern city of Cork over the next 18 months from 2,800 at present, a spokesman for the company said. He said the jobs would “support our growing business across Europe.” The Cork operation provides …
Continue reading “Apple goes on hiring spree in Israel, Ireland (to start domination of Europe?)”
“The bicycle was regarded, more than most places in the world — as ‘good for society,’” he writes in an email. “After the bicycle boom in the late 1800s, many cycling clubs merged and then many of them merged again, morphing into cyclist ‘unions’, with political goals. What happened in most countries in the early …
Continue reading “Why Amsterdam, Copenhagen are bike friendly cities”