Global News Journal
Beyond the World news headlines
from UK News:
Ash-stranded 2,000 kilometres from home – Tuesday update
* 1600 euros the quoted fare for taxi from Barcelona to Perpignan
* Train from Perpignan cancelled, but we blag our way on to Paris-bound service
* Chaos in Calais
Original post: “We’ve gone on holiday by mistake!”
That quote from "Withnail and I" has been rattling around my brain for the last few days as I’ve looked for a way to complete the 2,000 kilometres (1,243 miles) or so from the small town I’ve been staying in south of Valencia, Spain, and my home in London.
I’ve spent most of the last 72 hours on the internet, searching in vain for reasonably priced car hire, bus, train and ferry tickets.
After giving up on our original flight from Alicante, and the replacement one from Valencia due to leave tonight, we took the train up to Barcelona and a friend is giving us a lift up over the border to Perpignan, France. From there it’ll either be a train, if the strike that prevented us buying through-tickets in Spain allows, or a hire car up to Calais, and a ferry on Wednesday morning.
We’re lucky. I was based in Spain for a long time and I know the train routes and travel websites inside out. We have friends and family to stay with and I can do at least some of my work remotely.
from The Great Debate UK:
Why the Icelandic volcano could herald even more disruption
- Dr Andrew Hooper is an Assistant Professor at Delft University of Technology and is an expert on monitoring deformation of Icelandic volcanoes. The opinions expressed are his own. -
The unprecedented no-fly zone currently in force across much of Europe has already caused the greatest chaos to air travel since the Second World War. Thousands of flights have been cancelled or postponed with millions of travel plans affected.
Should Norway bail out Iceland?
While not exactly pocket change, Iceland’s $5.5 billion Icesave debt to Britain and the Netherlands amounts to just 1.2 percent of the value of Norway’s offshore wealth fund. For Iceland, it’s more than $15,000 per citizen.
Given the two countries’ close historic links — Norwegian Vikings discovered the Atlantic island where people still speak a version of “old Norwegian” — speculation about Oslo coming to the rescue has Reykjavik licking its lips.
