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In our roundup of travel stories this week: the spectacular legacy of Alexander the Great, where trainspotters go to see bullet trains “kiss,” plus British attempts to crack down on antisocial noise.
Noise pollution
First there was “rawdogging.” Then there was “barebacking.” Now there’s another travel trend with an unnecessarily smutty name: “bare beating.”
You probably know the activity as “playing music or video out loud without using headphones” and chances are high that you’ve already encountered it.
As one bare beater’s transgression encourages the next, it’s a growing scourge that has train, plane and bus passengers around the world irate.
In the UK, where sullen eyes-down silence has long been a sacred part of public transport etiquette — in London, at least — an opposition political party is calling for the government to issue fines of up to £1,000 ($1,329) for such noise offenders.
A poll commissioned by the Liberal Democrats found that roughly two in five Brits had encountered people playing music out loud often or sometimes, but more than half say they would not be comfortable asking another passenger to turn the sound down.
Politicians who aren’t actually in power have a habit of calling for popular laws that could prove hard to enforce, but some concrete action has been taken in London’s Leicester Square about another controversial form of noisy public entertainment.
Street performers are part of the tapestry of London’s answer to Times Square. However, a judge recently ruled that the repetitive din of buskers serenading tourists with their take on Ed Sheeran amounted to “psychological torture” for local office workers, the BBC reported.
The city’s Westminster Council says it’s been left “with no choice” but to ban busking following the noise complaints.
Peace and quiet
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By <span class=”byline__name”>Nicholas Blatt</span>, <a class=”byline__link vossi-byline__link” href=https://www.cnn.com/profiles/aaron-fisher><span class=”byline__name”>Aaron Fisher</span></a>, <a class=”byline__link vossi-byline__link” href=https://www.cnn.com/profiles/madeleine-stix><span class=”byline__name”>Madeleine Stix</span></a> and <span class=”byline__name”>Jackson Loo</span>, CNN
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An independent bookstore is one of the finest respites from the chatter and chaos of urban living, and New York’s Strand bookstore is perhaps the most famous in the world.
CNN’s Erin Burnett took her kids to visit the store that’s been delighting Manhattan customers for nearly 100 years and caught up with the Strand’s third-generation owner Nancy Wyden.
Once you’ve got your bookstore purchase, there are few better places to head than a coffee shop, those delightful oases of caffeinated calm. They aren’t just muffin-mongers, they’re a mental health resource that can make our daily grinds that much easier.
Our partners at CNN Underscored, a product reviews and recommendations guide owned by CNN, have some tips on how you can create an affordable cocoon of serenity in your own home. Check out their roundup of products for a spa-like experience without leaving the house, from waffle bathrobes to facial steamers.
Historical travel
Lycian tombs Turkey
There’s no faster way to feel like a feckless slugabed than to compare your achievements to Alexander the Great.
The Macedonian multitasker conquered land across three continents and never lost a battle before dying at just 32 years old. Here’s how he redrew the map of the world.
The ancient Lycians ruled modern-day Turkey’s southwestern corner more than 2,000 years ago, but their legacy endures in the spectacular cities of the dead still carved into the region’s cliffs.
The elaborate tombs can be found overlooking towns, valleys and shorelines and often the scramble to reach them is part of the adventure.
Over in eastern Turkey, some 180 miles from the Syrian border, the town of Tarsus has a 7,000-year history where three religions intertwine. And as if that’s not enough of a sell, it also has amazing hummus.
Making amigos
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Cynthia Wilson and Craig Bjork met in their 50s and moved from Kansas to Portugal for their retirement years. They were keen to integrate themselves into the local community, defining themselves as immigrants looking to adapt, rather than insularly minded “expats.”
“People never pegged us as Americans. I think they can’t peg us at all,” says Wilson. “We’re fine with that.”
In case you missed it
A little-known Japanese rail spectacle attracts trainspotters from around the world.
The joyful union known as the “Shinkansen kiss” happens 17 times a day.
Travelers claim this TikTok seatbelt hack makes it easier to sleep on the plane.
Experts say it’s “extremely dangerous.”
Global Airlines promised luxurious flights on a fleet of A380 superjumbos.
The launch is somewhat different.
People told her to stay home and focus on motherhood.
Instead, she became the first woman to summit Everest.