If you've been to Athens and used the metro you must have noticed that entry to the station requires ticket validation but unlike London or New York where entry requires the opening of gates to pass through, there is no such thing in Athens. The ticket is valid for 1.5 hours and the price is same for all destinations which makes the ticket transferable. If you see a ticket left around on the validation machine, it's probably because someone left it there to be used by someone else. Next time you're in Athens and use the metro, check to see if there is a ticket on the validation machine before buying a new one.

Have you ever wondered what happens to all those coins tossed in the Fontana di Trevi monument in Rome? Do they get back into circulation, are they kept somewhere or do beggars or homeless people come and collect them late at night? Tourists throw them in the fountain and make a wish and if the wish comes true the coins are payment for it. If there was a way to know that the coin in my wallet is someone's coin thrown in the fountain in exchange for a wish, I would like to respect that and not spend the coin in exchange for buying something for myself. A Fontana di Trevi bank where wish-coins could be exchanged for other coins would be a good idea, sounds a bit superstitious but I think everyone's wishes should be somehow, if not fulfilled, at least respected...

This thought is for people who feel nostalgia when they re-visit a place where they used to live in the past. What if shoe soles can be made to have their own signature - similar to fingerprints - which can be saved invisibly on the ground's surface?

With the help of a laser scanning or other device - similar to banknote counterfeit scanners - the shoe prints would show on the surface when the laser falls on them. This way you could easily see and re-trace the exact steps you made and places you visited years ago. (read more)

Choose the cabin closest to the turbine where the noise is maximum and covers the screams and moans! Sex ban? No thanks! If caught and get thrown off the plane, use the emergency parachute and enjoy a nice free fall with lots of sex in the air. Love is in the air!

Why do most people get up from their seats as soon as the plane lands and the fasten-your-seat-belt sign is off? Most passengers seem to prefer to stand in queue until the doors of the plane open. I have observed this behavior in all flights I make. Even passengers in economy who sit at the back of the plane prefer to wait standing. This is true both in long and short flights. I call these passengers imps, which means i-m-patiently-standing! What type of passenger are you?

It's not about the memories but about the physical thing we forget to take with us when we pack. It's interesting to keep a list of what we forget, pyjamas, tooth-brush, shirts etc It's useful for last minute-check to go one more time through list of things forgotten in past. Is anyone else who like to share similar passion and curiosity? Which thing do you forget to take and how to deal with it? (read more)

There is a fishing practice in Japan that uses birds to catch fish. A British friend reminded me about it when he heard me using the phrase, kill two birds with one stone. "If you aim for the wrong bird in Japan", he said, "your kill might cost you up to 600 fish on a good day". Yeah, right. It's true though. Not many people know about cormorant fishing so if you're interested here's how it's done. (read more)

September 3, 2009

7:20 p.m. - 8:05 p.m., Greece

I had the most memorable evening swim complemented by a very touching and beautiful gesture. A love note on the beach meant for me.

I arrived at the beach on a beautiful sunset around 7:20pm. The place was empty and calm. I could only see two girls a few meters to my right lying on the beach facing the sunset and apparently taking looks at me as I made my way into the water. (read more)

I have time and money and I want to spend it traveling. None of my friends can join me because they are too busy looking for a job or working hard to pay off their debts. I can't push them and I don't think I can travel by myself. I have never traveled alone and I don't want to. I would like to find a travel buddy to join me and soon. I am not looking to make friends, I am looking for someone who is in a similar position to the one I am, wants to travel, can travel but can't find anyone to join. An online matching site for travel buddies to hook up is something I need but nobody has thought to start one. So, if you can recommend me a travel buddy, I'd be grateful.

When we serve you the drink in a flight it's always in an open plastic cup that is never filled all the way to the top. The reason is to avoid spilling in case of turbulence. In case of severe turbulence, however, your drink will spill or splash around if the cup is open. I've seen it happening, worst being when your drink lands on your clothes. I think that all airline companies should use lids and avoid any chance of spilling your drink in the case of severe turbulence. Do you agree?