When You Travel, Chances Are You Will Encounter Time Shifts.

Sir Sanford Fleming, a Canadian railroad engineer and visionary, set out the basics of time zones around the world to help his trains keep schedules. Before Fleming’s invention, each train station in each town had its own time based on the overhead sun at noon. Railroad scheduling was next to impossible to decipher.

Fleming proposed every 15 degrees of longitude should all have the same standard time. All lines of longitude pass through the north and south poles. At the equator the 15 degrees covers approximately 1,000 miles. Since the earth’s equator is approximately 24,000 miles in circumference, there are 24 time zones each an hour apart.

Unfortunately the degrees of longitude (every 15 degrees) would bisect states and countries, provinces, states and even towns. One side of the imaginary line was an hour before or after the other side. So deviations had to occur to accommodate the actual ground situation. So time zones can wiggle around and go back and forth to follow borders etc.

Time zones are not simple and international datelines and earth rotation direction aside, they can be quite confusing.

Here are some web sites that may help you get a handle on time zones and changes around the world.

• Time.is has times around the world by location (7 million enough?). It also shows:
  • sunrise and sunset times
  • time zone details
  • latitude and longitude
  • details on holidays for the day
  • a Wikipedia link.
• Time Ticker indicates the current time when you click on the world map. Specific cities and towns appear in list boxes.
• Time Zone Check Hover your mouse over the world map and you are shown daylight saving time and standard time on two clocks. A third clock reads your computer’s time setting.
• Every Time Zone compares times around the world in a bar graph styles. It shows the date too. Very visual.
• 24 time zones has an interactive world map with yellow dot locations for time zones, shading for night and daylight and the date for each location.
• Daylight Map
  shows the dusk and dawn lines as daylight marches around the globe. Clocking locations around the world can be done. The google just the night-time city lights satellite image is there too as well as other features.
• World Time Zone gives an overall view of time zone borders around the globe.

Google Earth has time zone information too, but it’s a little more complicated to extract it. Of course Google Earth has so many other information resources for the traveller, the time zones are not its major thrust.

Less intuitive and therefore less useful are:

• Qlock shows times as you hover over a world map. It includes three styles of world view using a google maps base.
• Windows 7 also has the capacity to have several clock images on its interface and each can be programmed for a different time zone. You can keep tabs of the zones you are travelling to or have friends in, etc.

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Travel Oddities Just for Fun

Here are some short little travel details that just seem odd to me. These are collected from friends, clients, agents and sometimes from articles on the World Wide Web.

• The Pantheon is the largest building from ancient Rome that survives intact.
• Where else but among travellers are bookings made on blind faith that a big company like an airline holds your interests at heart. The traveller has no idea what everything will cost after adding in the cost of a checked bag, a seat reservation confirmation fee plus charges for best legroom, a day-old some kind f meat substitute sandwich and a bottle of water. The flier will pay more than expected, in all likelihood a lot more. Isn’t that strange behaviour?
• Boarding a cruise, security persons take a five-inch knife from a passenger. Later, The waiter handed out steak knives to our table. All had six-inch blades!
• French was the official language of England for over 600 years. One opinion. Another point of view.
• In Japan hotels, thermos of hot water and bags of green tea are in every room. For coffee call the rather expensive room service or buy very sweet coffee in a can from a vending machine. Iced coffee in a can has been popular in Japan since 1945. Take your own instant coffee if you need that caffeine start to your day.
• The Hobbit Hotel has an outside design that copies the “Lord of the Rings” movies exterior sets (click for image). Inside is the modern and comfort that most guests seek.

Monaco Exists because a Grimaldi Rules

If Monaco’s ruling house of Grimaldi should ever be without an heir (male or female), the country will cease to be a sovereign state. It’s a quirky world. England has had several houses take the throne at different times, but not little Monaco.

The fortress Monaco was established under Grimaldi rule in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. In the fifteenth century the rules of succession were formally established by John Grimaldi, lord of Monaco, in his will (1454). It has had a colourful history ever since.

The Grimaldi rules were bent to get a Grimaldi on the throne in 1949.

• Louis II Matignon-Grimaldi of Monaco adopts Charlotte Louvet, his illegitimate daughter, in 1919, b. 1870 d. 1949
  • Pierre de Polignac Investiture of Polignac Dynasty under the name Grimaldi. married (1920) Charlotte Louvet b. 1898 d. 1977
• Prince Rainier III Polignac-Grimaldi of Monaco, grandson of Louis, assumed power on Louis II death in 1949 b. 1923 d. 2005.
  • [Antoinette de Massy b. 1920 has issue]
• Prince Albert II Polignac-Grimaldi of Monaco, b. 1958, succeeded his father Prince Ranier III, 2005.
  • [Caroline b. 1957 has issue]
  • [Stéphanie b. 1965 She has issue]

More Reading:

• The genealogy of the Grimaldi line in Monaco
• More information on this fascinating state is here
• A blog about Monaco’s monarchy
• Monaco facts and figures here

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Haggling or bargaining is the negotiation process of buying something using less cash than the original asking price. Bargaining is an alternative pricing strategy to fixed prices. Bargaining presents risks.

You may:

• lose out on an item.
• over pay on a item.
• get a great deal
• not like the whole first hand shopping participation
• enjoy the unique buying experience

Some points to ponder:

• If your destination market place is known for price negotiations enjoy the experience. Jump in and learn if is new to you.
• If prices are posted at all they will be inflated and can fluctuate wildly.
• When bargaining, a good starting point is half the requested price.
  • Be sure you really want the bargain.
  • Be firm and ready to walk
  • If vendor can bend at all, he/she will call you back.
  • If you want the object no matter what (that must have, cute, embroidered dress for your grand daughter for example) your strategy changes.
  • If you are not really into bargaining, give it a try – what do you have to lose
• It is best if you have knowledge of the item. I would not know a bargain in jewelry if you hit me over the head with it.
• Sometimes vendors are more like traders and they will be insulted if you don’t try to deal.
• In India, a sign posted with the phrase fixed price indicates that bargaining is not allowed, although quite often this is not the case.
• Do some homework before arrival.
  • Check online, ask your agent, ask your friends or attend ship seminars about the ports if you are cruising. Take it all with a gain of sea salt, there are often ulterior motives involved in recommendations.
  • There are known scams in some pockets so be forewarned and avoid entrapment.
  • Find out what is hot and what to avoid

Sources:

• Wikipedia, Bargaining technical definitions
• Trip Tip – Haggle expands on above tips and more

Now that the worst seems to be over re: Vacationers verses the Volcano, I have collected a few reports on what happened. I would imagine everyone has read/heard  about Iceland’s erupting Eyjafjallajokull volcano. No matter how you say it, it was a disaster for many vacationers and business travellers.

I have been reading:

• Glass build-up found in NATO F-16 engine: U.S. official
  BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Glass build-up from Iceland’s volcanic eruption has been found in an engine of a NATO F-16 fighter plane, a U.S. official said on Monday, underlining the dangers to aircraft of flying through the ash cloud.
  The official did not say which nation’s aircraft had been affected, where it happened or when, but it was the second air force to report problems from the ash cloud — Finland, not a NATO member, reported similar problems on Friday. Read full report here
• Aircraft enginemakers, regulators study ash impact
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) – General Electric Co (GE.N) and other aircraft engine makers and regulators are studying the possibility of formulating limits for safely operating jet engines in volcanic ash, industry and regulatory officials said on Monday. Read full report here
• Beyond airlines – winners and losers with volcanic ash
  At this point, even armchair travelers are familiar with Europe’s volcanic ash saga and the fact that the cloud has basically grounded all flights in the European airspace. News stories on the situation also talk about how much money — perhaps $200 million dollars a day — airlines are losing. Read full report here
• E.U. works on Europe-wide volcanic ash policy, until now, decisions were country-by-country
  Until today, the European decisions forced because of the volcanic ash cloud that has put an end to air traffic over the continent have been on a country-by-country basis. Now that the ash has closed most of Europe’s airspace, the E.U. is debating how to coordinate an emergency European-wide response.
  Read full report here
• European flights remain grounded; airlines question ‘proportionality’ of response
  Volcanic ash from last week’s eruption in Iceland continues to cause dramatic disruption to air traffic in Europe, with many airlines cancelling services for a fifth consecutive day Monday owing to airspace closures but questioning whether EU governments and ATC providers are overreacting.
  Read full report here
• European officials to ease ash-related flight restrictions
  Under growing pressure from industry leaders and stranded travelers, European transportation ministers decided Monday to open more of the continent’s airspace to commercial air traffic despite concern over a lingering cloud of ash from a volcano in Iceland. Read full report here
• Flight ban lifted – and now the recriminations begin
  • BA chief attacks government and air safety watchdog
  • Manufacturers change advice on flying in ash clouds
  • Days more of delays to come but end to chaos in sight
  Read full report here
• Week Without Revenue Cost Airines $1.7 Billion
  IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates that the Icelandic volcano crisis has cost airlines more than $1.7 billion in lost revenue through Tuesday April 20th – six days after the initial eruption. For a three-day period (17-19 April), when disruptions were greatest, lost revenues reached $400 million per day. Read full report here
• Ash Cloud Reaches North American Coast
  “Up to this point there is no indication that the airspace will be affected (by the ash cloud),” — Randy Mahon, — St John’s airport, Newfoundland.
  The ash cloud from Iceland’s volcanic eruption brushed up against Canada’s Eastern seaboard on Monday, but airlines said domestic flight cancellations were mostly because of fog. Read full report here
• Heathrow Airport finally reopens
  Plans to unclog the skies over Europe by this weekend are getting a boost as London’s Heathrow Airport finally reopens, though the airline industry is complaining bitterly that European Union authorities responded much too slowly to the crisis over volcanic ash. Read full report here
• Volcanic Situation – Behind The Scenes Of A Global Travel Meltdown
  Air Canada V.P. Sales Claude Morin sums up the situation in one succinct line: “Just when we thought we’d seen it all.”
  A volcanic eruption in Iceland has spawned a travel crisis the likes of which the world has never experienced. Airline emergency task forces, flight operations, airport management and governments have been in a group huddle for the last week without much effect. Mother Nature is in charge and the rest of us have to wait. Read full report here
• Fuming airlines demand compensation
  Industry blames European authorities for overreacting to ash threat, costing airlines more than $1-billion; Officials begin to open airspace, but global backlog could take weeks to clear Read full report here
• First leg of Celebrity launch replaced by mercy mission
  The first leg of Celebrity Eclipse’s launch celebrations has been cancelled to allow the ship to pick up 2,000 Brits stranded in Spain.
  Lavish celebrations aboard Celebrity Cruises’ newest vessel had been due to begin on Thursday April 22 following the ship’s arrival in Southampton at 9am today, Tuesday. Read full report here
• Volcano
  Wiki general information on volcanoes. Read full entry here
• Iceland Volcanoes
  More background details on the Iceland situation. Read full entry here

I hope this list will be helpful. It’s probably more than you really wanted to know, but…

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