This is the archived version of our free weekly newsletter. To start receiving it in your mailbox on the send-out day, join the newsletter list!
Hi from Zagori!
Taking a digital leap to Greece, where nice weather was extremely generous this autumn. The perfect excuse for a mountain escape.
Wherever Slavic influence reached, Zagori, or “a place behind the mountain”, echoed like a catchy tune. In Croatia, we have Zagorje and Zagora. Albania has Zagoria, Bulgaria – Zagore.
The Greek Zagori is a place where dragons once played catch with rocks and trees, shaping a wild landscape of the world’s deepest gorges, undisturbed rivers, and abundant forests.
Further north, Slovenia has the largest subterranean canyon in the world, equally untouched waters, and lush greenery. It even has a Zagorje of its own. But a Slovenian mythical dragon lives in the depths of Postojna Cave.
The karst landscape, barren and rough, seems to be a treasure chest of surprises waiting to be uncovered. If you’re not afraid of the dragons, of course.
Find this in today’s newsletter:
- Words: Outlast milennias, airbuses, and queues.
- Images: Climb, fly, and gaze over the mountains.
- Numbers: Don’t bribe, don’t steal, and don’t kill’em all.
- P.S.: Black Friday before Black Friday.
Have a zagorski week! 🐉
Ivan Kralj
Pipeaway.com
FEATURE SPOTLIGHT
Stone by Stone, UNESCO
Tucked away in the northwestern Greek region of Epirus, Zagori earned its golden ticket to UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites club. The convention recognized the worth of this cultural landscape where “a traditional architecture [is] adapted to the mountain topography”. Beyond the stone villages, meandering pathways, and scenic staircases, prepare to be wowed by Zagori’s network of nearly 100 stone-arched bridges.
PYRAMID SCHEMES
With its ripe age of possibly 25,000 years, Indonesia’s Gunung Padang could rewrite human history as the world’s oldest pyramid. Not to be outdone, Kazakhstan threw its own 3,000-year-old pyramid into the ring. No wonder Egypt is hurrying to finish the “largest museum dedicated to one civilization”.
CLOSE CALL
Forget scenic views; Ryanair’s legendary windowless window seats are now a hot commodity after this flight from London Stansted Airport departed with missing and damaged windows. Then again, this poor critter supposedly survived a journey from London to L.A.
POOP PROBLEM
Is Disneyland the poopiest place on Earth? Apparently, guests have to endure long waits for their favorite rides, and that comes with a pressure that needs to be relieved somewhere. Mark Provost dissects the dark side of the magic kingdom in his hilarious vlog.
🌌
The campaign teaching the world how to distinguish Sweden from Switzerland faced an ironic twist when the Northern Lights graced – Swiss skies. The phenomenon was a result of a rare geomagnetic storm and was seen as far south as Turkey. For the “real thing”, northern Sweden is still your go-to.
🚁
Now a sight you don’t experience often, even in Switzerland. Usually, railroad repairs call for buses as replacement transport. But if you’re in the village of Linthal these weeks, you can hop on a replacement helicopter for just 7.20 francs!
☕
In the Chinese mountains, there is the most inconveniently placed convenience store serving refreshments to climbers. Once you see the cliffside image, you’ll hope the lines are not as long as in Disneyland.
$50
The amount of bribe a Chinese tourist offered at Singapore’s Changi Airport to board a flight to Amsterdam without a visa. Instead of the Netherlands, she landed in jail.
$12,800
The estimated worth of artworks stolen by two passengers from a Carnival Legend cruise. Cruise ships are strict about what you can take on board, but maybe they should be checking the luggage of departing passengers too.
2m
The number of animal and plant species threatened by extinction. The alarming figure doubled in the last four years.
Insta360’s Black Friday Blowout
If you dream of having a 360 camera or an action camera, Insta360 has a great deal for you. Their Black Friday sale has just started today, and it’s packed with huge discounts, freebies, and even an extended warranty. There will surely be many amazing promotions during the upcoming Black Friday, but if you want to document your travels with the most innovative and versatile cameras on the market, don’t wait until the last moment. Grab Insta360 deals before they’re gone!
First time reading? Sign up here.
This is the archived version of our free weekly newsletter. To start receiving it in your mailbox on the send-out day, join the newsletter list!
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you click on them and make a purchase, Pipeaway may make a small commission, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our work!
