Bargain Skiing in Europe/Loud Cities/Antique Maps
Nomadico issue #91
A weekly newsletter with four quick bites, edited by Tim Leffel, author of A Better Life for Half the Price and The World’s Cheapest Destinations. See past editions here, where your like-minded friends can subscribe and join you.
Skiing in Bulgaria
Last year I brought in a fun group of people to ski Bulgaria in Bansko and Borovets and that link goes to an article I just wrote about it. These are some of the best-value ski and snowboard spots in the world, on and off the slopes, with terrific views too. (I’m currently leading a small group tour around central Mexico, visiting 3 UNESCO World Heritage Cities and a Mexican ghost town. If you’d like to hear about future trips, get on a notification list here.)
Quiet Places in Loud Cities
This article on where to escape the noise in loud cities doesn’t include noisy Asia and Latin America, but it does show the worst cities for noise in the USA and Europe. The noisiest European ones have much higher levels than the U.S. ones, partly because of density, with Vienna, Cagliari, and Barcelona leading the list. The quiet spots for escape include a lot of Japanese gardens and pocket parks, like Lurie Garden in Chicago, the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh, and Jardins de Laribal in Barcelona.
World Corruption Index
How corrupt do you think your country is? Transparency International publishes an annual corruption perceptions index that measures this and unfortunately, there are more countries in decline than rising. Northern Europe leads the way with 8 of the top 10 spots, while Sub-Saharan Africa occupies much of the bottom. The top entry for the Americas is Canada, tied for 12th overall with a score of 76 out of 100. The country where the conservative party’s candidate for president is facing 91 criminal indictments scored a 69. Dictator-led nations like Cuba (42), Hungary (42), Turkey (34), and Russia (26) did not fare well, but the very worst were Venezuela and Somalia.
Antique Maps Source
If you love the look of antique maps like I do and have a spot on the wall where you’d like to place one, check out the website Oculi Mundi for reproductions of maps from the days of exploration in past centuries, including specific countries and regions. The site itself is a work of art too.
02/15/24
