It lasted from 1:30 Monday morning when we finally departed from Lorton until our arrival at our final destination in Sanford around 11:30 that night -- 14 hours behind schedule.
The sun bouncing off the Acropolis marble is blinding, but the heat in Athens is shifting. The city is steering visitors away from the Parthenon slopes and towards the graffiti-splashed streets of neighborhoods like Koukaki and Kypseli. There, the term "creative renaissance" is more than a brochure slogan.
Traveling through Turkey, I quickly realized the true locals aren’t just the people—they’re the cats. From Istanbul’s colorful bazaars to Cappadocia’s dreamlike fairy chimneys and Çeşme’s shimmering turquoise waters, cats wander freely as cherished “citizens,” moving with the confidence of a population that knows it belongs.
The industry's 93-page wish list suggests they're willing to test just how much passengers will tolerate. As I've learned in my decades of consumer advocacy, when it comes to exploiting passengers, you should never underestimate the airline industry's creativity.
Here's the thing: While most superstitions are harmless, some are not. Alex Andreichuk, a travel adviser, has seen some that can interfere with a trip in a significant way. For example, some of his clients refuse a room on the 13th floor because they think it's bad luck. In fact, many hotels don't even have a 13th floor because of widespread triskaidekaphobia.