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Museum Junkie: Oxford's Ashmolean reopens today
The long wait is finally over for the grand reopening of Oxford's Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology.After being partially or completely closed for the past three years, the museum's vast collection is finally open to the public again, with twice the exhibition space it once had.
The Ashmolean is the oldest public museum in the world, having opened in 1683, and while there have been a lot of changes over the years, none have been as big as this £61 million ($101 million) project. The expansion includes four temporary exhibition galleries so the Ashmolean can host blockbuster traveling shows, something it couldn't do with its previous space.
The permanent collection has gone through some major changes too. More of it is on display now, of course, but also the style of the displays has been revamped with the new idea of Crossing Cultures Crossing Time, which allows visitors to see how civilizations developed as parts of an interrelated world culture. This is an an improvement over the old-style way of displaying civilizations as separate entities when in reality they influenced one another on many levels. It also echoes the global perspective that Oxford's other world-class museum, the Pitt-Rivers, brings to its own collection.
The museum is best known for its collections of Anglo-Saxon, predynastic Egyptian, Asian, and Renaissance art and artifacts, but has a good sampling of treasures from just about every period and culture, everything from crocodile mummies to medieval beer mugs. Museum junkies will not want to miss the new Ashmolean.
If the pictures in the gallery below aren't enough for you, check out this collection of photos by yours truly and Mrs. yours truly.
Gallery: Treasures of the new Ashmolean
Gadlinks for Friday 11.6.09
- I love companies that give back. Here are five travel outlets that make giving part of buying. [via Jaunted]
- Yikes! As a single female traveler, I've been wary of couchsurfing. This give me more reason to avoid couchsurfing altogether. [via True/Slant]
- I read this article on the plane recently and was really moved by what this graffiti artist is doing to share his vision of the world. [via Hemispheres]
- This is a nice, comprehensive guide to wine tasting in South America. [via BootsNAll]
More Gadlinks HERE.
Oprah says good-bye to Chicago
Did you hear the new rumor about Oprah Winfrey? No, not that one! This one says that come 2011, her daytime talk show will leave Chicago and be based out of Los Angeles. According to Deadline Hollywood, the big O planned on calling it quits way back in 2002, then again in 2006. At that point she renewed her syndication contracts through 2011. But now, it looks like she'll be moving the show from national syndication to her very own OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network) station.
While there's no denying that Oprah's success is a positive force for Chicago tourism (even those who can't get the coveted tickets for her show will make the pilgrimage out to Harpo Studios to take a tour or shop at the Oprah Store), the daytime diva hasn't really been all that connected with Chicago for many years. Sure, she tapes the show here, she flies in for special events, and she lobbied (unsuccessfully) for Chicago's Olympic bid, but other than that, she doesn't spend a whole lot of time here, preferring instead her gigantic estate in Montecito, California.
For tourists and die-hard Oprah fans, I'm sure she will be missed. For residents (especially those who had their commutes disrupted when she closed down the streets for her massive season launch party), it's sad to lose an icon, but hey, we've still got the Sears Tower.....oh, wait, nevermind.
According to "entertainment insiders", Oprah's company will make the announcement outlining her plans to move, sometime in the next six months.
Greyhound bus driver heads wrong way: Where's a GPS when you need one?
Greyhound bus drivers generally don't make national news. Pilots who overshoot airports, however, end up having their story told over and over again on about every entertainment vehicle there is. How many places did you hear or read about the Northwest Airlines pilots who missed Minneapolis and didn't figure out their mistake for 150 miles?
Now, how many of you heard about the Greyhound bus driver who headed the wrong way for more than an hour last week? Yep, last Saturday morning at about 7:14 a.m on October 31st, that's exactly what happened--a bus driver went the wrong way for more than 70 miles.
Here's an exclusive Gadling report that has yet to show up anywhere. Gadling knows because Gadling was there.
The Spice Isle: Making the most of a cruise stopover in Grenada
Ideally, you'd want several days on the island where you could see waterfalls in the inland mountains, leatherback turtles off the northern beaches, and French and British influences in the capital town of St. George's. But if you plan it right, you can see some amazing things in the short amount of time.
Get out on the water:
I know. You might be thinking that the last thing you want after being on a cruise ship is to get on another boat. But a Grenada Seafaris boat isn't just any boat. When it powers at full-speed, it's a fun wind-in-your-face ride. And it stops for snorkeling at the underwater sculpture park, designed by Jason de Caires Taylor. The 2.5-hour tour also includes off-coast stops up the west coast and discussions about conservation and local marine life.
Eight months in a Swedish prison for drunk Ryanair passenger
Back in June, a drunk Ryanair passenger started to freak out, and attempted to open the aircraft door in the middle of a flight from Riga to London. The man had finished an entire liter of vodka and a couple of beers, and it took two professional boxers to get him away from the door and pin him to the ground.
The plane ended up making an emergency landing in Sweden to dispose of their drunk cargo, which means it was up to a Swedish judge to sentence the drunkard. The judge handed him an 8 month sentence, and a substantial fine, payable to Ryanair.
The man claims he can't remember any of the incident, and blames it all on his fear of flying. The Swedish prosecutor didn't buy it, and is actually appealing the sentence as he feels it is too light. Similar cases ended up with about 18 month sentences.
The good news is that aircraft doors are virtually impossible to open midflight due to the pressure difference between the outside air and cabin.
Giant jellyfish cause boat to capsize
According to this story from Sky News, the fishermen were attempting to pull in a net filled with the creatures, but the weight of the catch caused the boat to roll onto its side and begin taking on water. The species of jellyfish are known to weigh in excess of 450 pounds, and can be more than two meters in diameter, which gives you an indication of just how large these beasts can grow.
2009 seems to have been a banner year for the Nomura's jellyfish, as the waters between China and Japan have seen an unusual number of the creatures in recent months. Scientists believe it is due to near perfect weather and water conditions throughout the year, and the Japanese fishing industry is preparing for an onslaught of problems in the months ahead. In the past, the jellyfish have damaged fishing equipment, stung fish caught in the nets, and clogged commercial sea lanes.
I'm not sure about you, but a 6+ foot, 400 pound jellyfish sounds pretty frightening to me. The small ones are enough to keep most people out of the water, and I can't imagine what it must be like to come across one of these while scuba diving or snorkeling, let alone dozens of them in one area.
Drive a rental car to Florida for $1
I agree with Mike Barish's recent post. Road trips do rock. I love grabbing some friends, jumping in the car, and blasting great music as we cruise down the highway or along back roads. If you love a good road trip.....and you happen to live in Texas or on the east coast......and you want to drive one-way to Florida.....and you just happen to plan on going before November 15, well then Thrifty Car Rental has a deal for you. The car rental company is offering the rock-bottom-rate of $1 per day for renters willing to pick up the car at Houston Hobby, Houston International, Corpus Christi, Boston, Burlington, or Providence airports and drive it to one of nine airports in Florida before November 15.
Odds are that not many people will be able to take advantage of this offer, except perhaps some of the snowbirds, like my grandmother, who head south every winter. But if the circumstances are right for you, it is an awesome deal.
There are some additional restrictions though (yes even more than those above!). Availability is limited and you must make the transfer within seven days. Drive fast, grandma!
Want to ignore airport security rules? Become a celebrity!
Airport security took a bit of blow this week when Britney Spears passed through LAX security carrying... a Big Gulp! I'm not a big fan of paparazzi (or Britney Spears for that matter), but the underlying story is interesting enough to deserve a closer look.
When Britney passed through the checkpoint, she was carrying her Big Gulp, something you and I would be told to throw away. Apparently being a famous singer gets you a special waiver, because none of the TSA staff told her to dump it.
Initially, there was some outrage from TSA opponents, as a drink like that is not permitted. TSA blogger "Bob" was quick to defend the TSA agents by pointing out that there were only ice chips in the cup, and that as long as the cup is put through the x-ray, ice chips are permitted.
As far as the TSA was concerned, that was end of the story. This is where the paparazzi come in handy, because they filmed Britney clearly carrying the cup through the checkpoint, without it ever passing through the x-ray equipment.
So, next time you don't want to spend $6 on an airport drink, just put on a Britney Spears mask or find yourself a career in entertainment, it'll make your trips to the airport so much easier.
In the Corner of the World: Queenstown
Queenstown is a seemingly quaint town that resides in the shadow of the Southern Alps on New Zealand's South Island. Walking its streets, one could easily mistake it for Boulder, Colorado. But like the American town that it resembles, Queenstown's quiet appearance belies an adventurous spirit that pervades the people and activities that make this hamlet a popular tourist destination all year round. I spent roughly 36 hours in Queenstown and was consistently amazed by its natural beauty and friendly population.
How does a town of 10,000 people become a mecca for tourists? The proximity to some of New Zealand's best ski fields certainly helps. But Queenstown is also the self-proclaimed "jet boat capital of the world" and the birthplace of commercial bungee jumping operations. For adrenaline junkies, Queenstown is a playground for the imagination.
