Common Sense and Whiskey

Rainy Day Reading

We've been a little scarce here at CS&W as we try to finish up some longer-form writing and get set for a trip to Rapa Nui that's about a month away. More on that as we get closer.

For now, here are ideas of interest from all over, if you're so inclined:

- Not long ago, my pal Rick Lewis moved to Cotacachi, Ecuador. He blogs about it at brokedownpalette.
- Alfred Molon, a Dane, has some 23,000 photos here, from much of the world.
- Albanian Tourism Project Puts Beds in Bunkers, from Der Spiegel.
- Kebabistan, a Eurasianet food blog, is worth a look.
- Update on the state of things in Ukraine, from Salon.
- The Enclaves and Counter-enclaves of Baarle, on the Dutch/Belgian border, from Big Think's Strange Maps.
- And you might have seen that the British have invaded nine out of ten countries, from an upcoming book.

Quality Transit Time

Hanging out at the Continental Breakfast Bar at Schipol Amsterdam waiting to climb on our flight to Helsinki at Gate C10 across the way there. This is probably the highest and best use of the internet ever.

When the Hotel Is the Destination

Check out the photos on the left. Next to the Harbour Master's office on a dock in the town of Harlingen, Netherlands, there's a working crane you can spin around. Better, you can rent it and drive it around all night. It's been converted to a hotel room. How could any former little boy resist?

That's my top find in a fun, nearly 300 page directory of strange places to stay from the web site Unusual and Unique Hotels of the World. I recommend you spend some time with it when you're not busy. You'll enjoy it.

Alongside a few tree houses and ice hotels (we'll have our own report from above the Arctic Circle in Lapland at the end of the year) and other offbeat places to stay, there's also a cave hotel in Cappadocia. But there's a destination I can speak of from my own experience, I can heartily recommend the Cappadocia Cave Suites. Extraordinary facility, gracious hospitality. Here's a couple of shots of our room: