The LG Travel News Roundup: An Alpine Twist to the Austrian Property Market

Weekly Travel News — By Candace R on June 17, 2011 at 6:00 am

By Susmita Baral
LG News Intern

Missed the big travel stories of the week? And the weird, wacky and insignificant ones? We’ve got your roundup right here…

For Sale? Two Summits from the Austrian Alps

Despite protests from locals, two summits in the Carnic Alps–Rosskopf and Grosse Kinigat–are being sold by the Austrian government-owned firm, Bundesimmobiliengesellschaft (try saying that five times fast). What does the price tag look like for such an unusual purchase? A breezy 121,000 Euros ($175,280). The firm asserts that the purchaser will not be able to fence off areas or deny mountaineers from passing. One of the summits even includes a war memorial honoring World War One when the Austro-Hungarian army fought the Italians. Source: Gadling

Stubborn Boston Snow Pile Refuses to Succomb to Heat

Even though temperatures have recently been hitting the 90’s in the Boston area, a massive snow pile still remains unscathed by the heat. A dirty pile of snow measuring 16 feet long, 8 feet wide and 3 feet high sits in a Framingham, Massachusetts, parking lot from this past winter. Why is this snow not melting? Apparently the more snow there is, the more energy it takes to melt it all away. Source: AOL Weird News

It Was a Tight Squeeze for Two Polish Thieves…

Krzysztof Grzegorz, a Polish contortionist, and his accomplice, Jouoastaw K, were arrested in Spain for stealing valuables from other travellers’ checked luggage. How’d they gain access? The contortionist hid himself in a small suitcase and thus gained entry to the cargo of an airport. The duo were caught after a bus employee noticed a man struggling to handle his luggage. Officers opened the luggage when they noticed it was warm–only to find a sweaty man inside with a laptop and GPS that didn’t belong to him. Source: AOL Travel

Surfing Madonna Is Making Waves in a California Community

In Encinitas, California, a 10-by-10-foot rock and glass mosaic featuring a surfing Madonna is creating controversy after artists disguised as construction workers fixed it to a wall under a train bridge in April. Legally, the piece is considered graffiti and should be removed under the law. Despite this, the work of art has an ever-growing mass following and the city is debating whether they should use city resources to ensure the piece can be removed without damage. Source: FOX News

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Travel News Bits

New iPhone photo app makes sure you never miss another shot

Award-winning travel photographer Ralph Velasco, who has photographed over forty countries across six continents, has recently released an app called “My Shot Lists.” The premise of the app is to help you take the best, well-rounded “cultural portrait” of whatever destination you’re visiting. Source: Gadling

Thumbnail courtesy of AOL Weird News