Ebook news digest: overhyped screen time concerns, Trivago rip-off, book piracy in Italy

finger of old woman pointing at tablet screen. photo by timothy muza

News on ebooks, writing and travel

Screen time: Conclusions about the apocalyptic effects of digital media are often incomplete, overstated

A voice of reason about concerns of regularly accessing media on a mobile device or PC: “a recent review of over 200 studies about social media concluded there was almost … Read >

Spaghetti and Sauna is a survival guide to Europe’s vastly different cultures: Italy and Finland

Finns are from Neptune and Italians from Mercury – that is what someone moving from Italy to Finland (or vice versa) might think. The differences in culture, behavior and socializing – not to mention weather and food are so great that it can drive a normal, healthy person to believe … Read >

Top 20 tourist regions in Europe: Spain, France, Italy have the most popular destinations

Europe is the world’s number one tourist destination, but anyone who has traveled in the culturally rich continent knows how different the countries are. Which countries and which regions exactly are the most visited destinations in Europe? The European Union has vast databases of information on tourism that reveals interesting … Read >

The best country to settle down after your active working years are behind

plaza in valencia, spain
A plaza with cafes in the city of Valencia.

If you have spent most of your working years in a country where the climate isn’t as pleasant you might hope, or living costs are higher than you like, you may have been considering moving to another country once you have … Read >

European railway news summary: unified train systems, off the beaten rail tips, Mr Bean restaurant

train at a station in the countryside. nice old train station building.
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An overview to the high-speed trains connecting European countries and cities

  • National Geographic regards the railway network in France the most extensive and functional in Europe, but the most extensive high-speed train network is in its neighbor country Spain. A number of good tips for train routes
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Nitpicker’s travel journal: behave, or else – unwritten cultural rules in Europe

benidorm levante beach in summer

If you think some European countries are setting new rules and restrictions just to make vacations for tourists in Europe more troublesome, you have forgotten thousands of years of culture. Many rules have always existed as unwritten behavioral etiquette that local people have followed without paying any attention to them. … Read >