Teaming up with Finland’s NESTE, Belgium’s Brussels Airlines is now the second major European carrier — after Amsterdam-based KLM — to start using Sustainable Aviation Fuel, or SAF to fill its aircraft. Last year Finnair and Iberia signed contracts with GEVO, a Colorado-based renewable energy and biofuels company, but those SAF shipments will only start […]
Europe
Top Five Unexpected Visits of 2022
To follow up the earlier post on my top five meals of 2022, I thought, food is great and all, but where the heck was I when eating? Why did I end up there? And, were any of those meals due to unexpected visits? Not necessarily, but I’ve got a fun top five list — […]
My Top Five Meals of 2022
First of all, Happy 2023! Mexico, Turkey, Japan, AND Georgia for good measure– how am I going to make a “top five meals of 2022” list when I was in some of my favorite countries for food? Better just take one from each, and then reveal a mystery country to finish the list off. Cue […]
An Early Christmas Gift from ITA Airways
The SkyTeam airline alliance member ITA Airways (AZ), the successor to Italy’s flag carrier Alitalia, only started flying on 15 October, 2021, less than a year after having been founded. As with many new businesses, there was a host of issues that had to be sorted out in the beginning; these issues included applying for […]
Wednesday’s Who’s Who of Airport Names, Part 8: Anne de Gaulle
In 2021, Paris, France’s Charles de Gaulle (airport code: CDG) airport was the 5th busiest in the world for total number of international passengers (bear in mind that #1 Dubai DXB and #3 Amsterdam AMS operate in countries without domestic scheduled commercial flights). Sure, many countries had more draconian COVID-19 rules in effect for much […]
Croatia gets a New Bridge; Bosnia gets a New Eyesore
Since the fall of Yugoslavia around 30 years ago, there has existed an unusual border between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. While many of us know that Croatia is famed for its enchanting Dalmatian Coast castle towns along the Adriatic Sea, less well-known is that Bosnia and Herzegovina actually separates Croatia into two parts, at the port city […]
Saudi Arabia’s Flynas Will Fly from Riyadh to Podgorica, Montenegro
Starting 28 July — this week — you will be able to fly from to That’s right, Saudi Arabia‘s flynas is launching seasonal once-a-week flights between the Saudi capital Riyadh (RUH) and Podgorica, Montenegro (TGD). This is the first time the two cities have been connected by a non-stop flight. Every Thursday up to 1 September, flight XY355 will go […]
Setting a Precedent? Venice, Italy’s Plans for a Tourist Entry Tax
If you plan on visiting Piazza San Marco and the Rialto Bridge next year, among countless other Venetian hotspots, be forewarned. According to CNN, starting on 16 January, 2023, Venice, Italy will be levying a dynamic tourism tax on day-tripper tourists. Prices are said to vary between three and ten euros per person. The official pricing system […]
