Alex Robertson Textor

Some Updates

It's been a quiet few months but not so quiet that I can't make some claims. 

• I'm still writing for Gadling.

• I've written a few posts for Sunvil, on the Faroe Islands and Flores.

• I joined Instagram.

• I've fleshed out my Pinterest boards. Places I want to visit is the best of these. (But of course I'd say that.)

• I am writing a book. (And burying the lede.)

• I just created my first Vine post.

• I'm thinking a lot about destination branding.

• I'm traveling to Milan, Turin, Aosta, Valais, Copenhagen, Malmö/Lund, the Isles of Scilly, and Baku over the next eight weeks. For the second half of 2013 I'll be focused on family travel (Japan, Thailand, US), a road trip (South Dakota), and book research (Kazakhstan, Russia, Northern Cyprus, Spain).

• I've got some big ideas about co-branded collaborations. I'm hoping to get some of these off the ground by the end of the year.

• I remain in love with London.

Random Round-Up: SkyEurope, Schengen, Lea's Lumpia, More

I've been out of town for a week and a half and on Friday I take off again, so I'm doing lots of catching up. Here are a few stories and objects that have caught my eye.

1. SkyEurope is in trouble. Has been for a while, but things are looking even more difficult for the airline just lately.

2. Swiss airports are prepared for full integration with Schengen, due on March 29. Meanwhile, the fact that Liechtenstein remains outside of the agreement is costing Switzerland millions of francs in border patrol costs.

3. My friend Lea Romingquet is an amazing cook. Right now she's making and delivering homemade lumpia in the San Francisco Bay Area to order. Run, don't walk, to her lumpia blog. There's contact information there.

4. These photos have me ready for spring.