If it looks like a skull, feels like a skull and probably smells like a skull, do everyone a favor and don't buy it as a souvenir of your trip, okay? We wish that two young tourists to the Greek island of Mykonos had figured this out when they purchased six human skulls and tried to transport back to the US through Athens International Airport. Of course they were stopped at security when the scanners revealed the skulls in their carry-on baggage, and the two were taken into custody.

Despite the claims that the tourists believed the skulls to be fake when they purchased them from a souvenir shop on the island, MSNBC reports that the airport summoned a coroner, who confirmed that they were indeed actual human remains. The consequences: the travelers were charged with "desecrating the dead." ]]> JetSetCD 2010-09-16T12:50:30-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/5/5/04630/84444
Istanbul is busy; Greece not so much

First it was the volcanic ash cloud holding up European air traffic, and now it's Greece as an entire country. Early this morning, Greece awoke to a planned nationwide strike, affecting everything from air travel to ferries to the subway and government offices. Civil servants, unions and more are protesting the nation's move to raise taxes, lower bonus pay for civil servants and retirees, and raise the retirement age for women to 65. And no one's going anywhere while they do it.

If you've traveled in Europe a fair bit, you've probably weathered a transportation strike or two. It's just part of life and there's no choice but to wait it out. This Greek mess may be a larger scale version of an average European strike, but its danger is that it has the potential to reoccur. The police has clashed with protestors and the government must continue with its plans or else face the wrath of countries from whom it's been borrowing money.

We'd keep our eyes open for cheap airfare to Greece if we were you; all these troubles usually lead to cancelled trips and more open seats...if your flight can arrive, that is.

Related Stories:
· Greece Hit by Anti-Austerity General Strike [Sydney Morning Herald]
· Political Travel [Jaunted]

[Photo: FlightRadar24] ]]> JetSetCD 2010-05-05T08:30:32-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/7/25/131311/110

When it comes to getting 'housed on holiday, few nationalities do it better than the British, whose reputation for expatriate debauchery is legendary. Turns out, though, that such extreme inebriation has a downside, ranging from fights to sexual assaults to automobile and scooter accidents. Officials in the U.K. and Greece, a popular holiday destination for young Brits, are fed up with the embarrassing actions of a few hardcore lager louts and are doing something about it. As Reuters points out, Britain urged "Grease" on Thursday to ban bar-hopping tours in which patrons visit so many bars in an evening that even having one drink in each would put you well out of touch with your senses. ]]> Victor Ozols 2009-07-25T13:13:11-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/6/20/124157/503

Today's a big day in the world of Greek antiquities, as the massive New Acropolis Museum in Athens opens its doors to the public for the first time. The fancy new building was designed by architect Bernard Tschumi, and incorporates classic and contemporary elements to display 4,000 artifacts, more than ten times the number of the inadequate old museum it replaces. The New York Times has a nifty article and slide show of the $200 million museum, which it calls "one of the highest-profile cultural projects undertaken in Europe in this decade." ]]> Victor Ozols 2009-06-20T12:41:57-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/6/5/10149/15805

My Life in Ruins, a new rom-com in theaters today, stars Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) as a tour guide in Athens who accidentally falls in love. The plot is as dull as it sounds, but Vardalos' character's chosen profession does provide some great vistas of the city. Taking a cue from Nia, here is our guide to the best of all that Athens has to offer: ]]> cmb 2009-06-05T14:37:06-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/5/22/7477/98206

If you've decided that this is the summer you're going to party in Greece, you'd better check your packing list and take out your high heels.

Officials in Greece are trying to get stiletto heels banned at important archaeological sites because these evil heels are damaging the ancient stuff. To quote Eleni Korka, a director taking care of such ancient sites:

Female visitors must wear shoes that do not wound the monuments. These monuments have a skin that suffers and people must realise that.

Too many tourists is a bit of a problem at many of the ancient sites in Greece - a few years ago they did a big clean-up of the Odeon of Herodes Atticus theater in Athens and removed 59 pounds of chewing gum stuck under the seats in the process. For some reason they haven't thought of banning chewing gum a la Singapore, but the anti-stiletto movement is growing strong.

Related Stories:
· Women Banned From Wearing Stilettos at Ancient Greek Sites [Daily Mail]
· Will This Be The Summer You Party in Greece? [Jaunted]
· Greece Travel Guide [Jaunted]

[Photo: **Mary**] ]]> amandak 2009-05-22T11:51:58-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/4/16/42117/3208

Last week we asked you if you're going to Europe this summer, and for the most part the wanderlust of Jaunted readers appears to be recession-proof. Many travelers who are intent on getting away are considering Eastern Europe, which tends to be cheaper and more accessible and just a little bit stranger than the standard London-Paris-Berlin itinerary.

If you're still deciding on an Eastern European destination, it's worth noting that some of our posts on summertime in Greece have included the phrases "oral sex competition" and "out-and-out degeneracy." The country is insane during the summer, whether you're close to Athens or you're gallivanting around the all-Spring-Break-all-the-time islands.]]> Omri 2009-04-16T17:01:41-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/