Gadling

I love maps and this photo of Paris taken by ultraclay! looks exactly like one. The angles and lines in this shot are well thought out and make for an excellent composition. Plus it's rare that we see Paris this way; it's nice to have a different view of the city than the Eiffel Tower or glass pyramid at the Louvre.

Do you have a stunning shot from your travels? Submit it to Gadling's flickr pool and it just might get selected for Photo of the Day.

The airplanes flying in and out of Fresno Yosemite International Airport might still be running on traditional fuel, but the airport itself will be saving $13 million in energy costs over the next 20 years thanks to solar power. Yesterday welcomed the dedication of the new solar array which will provide 40% of the day-to-day lighting, air conditioning, controls and towers of the airport.

Given that the Fresno airport is the gateway to the famed Yosemite National Park, taking steps to be more environmentally friendly makes sense. So if your looking to green your next trip to California, fly into Fresno and be happy that the airport lights are partly fueled by the outdoor sun.

[Via Treehugger]

With summer in full swing it, finding good outdoor spaces to have a drink is the thing to do. Nothing says summer more than a couple of friends sitting on an outdoor terrace sharing a pitcher. But even better than your average terrace or patio has to be a rooftop.

Stopping for an evening drink is an excellent activity, but if you can find a bar on top of a tall building with an excellent view of your host city, even better. While in Vietnam last fall, my hostel in Hanoi had a rooftop bar and it seemed none of us ever wanted to leave. Our friends over at Matador Nights -- part of the Matador Network -- think along the same lines and have graced us with an article on The World's 10 Best Rooftop Bars. It's the insider's guide to finding the best rooftop nightlife, from the ultra cool to the ultra sexy.

Here are the top five:

1. Sirocco, Bangkok, Thailand
2. The Penthouse, Madrid, Spain
3. Luna Bar, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
4. Rooftop Bar, Melbourne, Australia
5. Gravity, Dublin, Ireland

For the rest of the list and descriptions to all of the bars, read the Matador Nights article here. Do you have a favorite rooftop bar?

This weekend featured a slew of events (like this one and these) in various American cities all in honor of the French national day, commonly referred to as Bastille Day. But even if you missed out on the weekend events, you still have today -- which happens to be the actual holiday -- to celebrate the ideals of fraternité, égalité et liberté (translation: freedom à la française).

Bastille Day commemorates the storming of the Bastille, which occurred on July 14, 1789. The storming of the famous prison kicked off the French Revolution and was emblematic of the uprising of a modern France that no longer wanted to be controlled by the absolute powers of a monarch. Just like the 4th of July is cause for celebration so is July 14th, so if you're a francophile at heart, or just need an excuse to throw a good party, here is quick guide to having your own célébration française:

What you need:

• French baguette
• French cheese
• Bottle of French wine
• Bottle of Champagne
• Checkered picnic cloth
• Several savory French dishes

Optional:

• Tri-colored clothing (come on, you have to have something left over from the 4th of July)
• Beret

Don your French gear and throw all necessary items into a picnic basket; Bastille Day is meant to be enjoyed outdoors. If you're really into it you can even memorize the lyrics to La Marseillaise, the French national anthem, and sing it to your heart's content. To spice up the afternoon, play a round of pétanque, the popular outdoor game.

See, who ever said you needed to travel to France to enjoy Bastille Day? You can even check out the official Parisian activities here. Bonne fête!

After a lot of red, white and blue painted faces last weekend it's refreshing to see the bright colors from the other side of the Pacific. Ultraclay! managed to get a very close-up shot of this decorated Harajuku girl in Japan. The most intense part of this picture are her eyes; she must be wearing special contacts. Makes me wonder if she did her make-up for a special occasion or just an afternoon out on the town?

Want your up-close shot featured on Photo of the Day? Submit it to the Gadling flickr pool and it just might be selected.

I hesitate to make snakes on a plane jokes because they're bad and overused, but in this case I'm going to have to do it once again. What just might be worse than snakes on a plane? Snakes in your hotel room. Fairfax City police said that they found a total of 17 exotic snakes in the room of the Hy-Way Motel last night near Fairfax Circle, VA. 12 of those snakes happened to be poisonous.

The hotel management was alerted to the snake issue because of the report of a foul odor coming from said room; two of the snakes had died which led to the smell. The snakes are believed to belong to an Arlington County man who kept as many as 100 exotic snakes in his home until recently. I think the important question here is: why did the snakes need a getaway at a cheap roadside hotel?

This gives us just another reason as to why it's important to fully investigate your hotel room (which can harbor some nasty things) before committing to stay in it for the night.

Think that's weird? What strange things have been found on planes?

Click the image to read the bizarre story...

Monolingual, white tennis shoes, an unbecoming outfit and an ugly fanny pack: my stereotypical image of an American tourist. But apparently Americans don't win the number one spot for the world's most obnoxious tourists. In Europe, that special place is held for the French, reports Time Magazine.

According to an international survey conducted for Expedia.fr, the French are in fact considered to be overall the worst of the worst of tourists. Employees in 4,000 hotels in Germany, the U.K., Italy, France, Canada and the U.S. were asked to rank their clients on different levels ranging from willingness to speak the local language to discretion and elegance, and French travelers did not fare well.

France fell behind India and China as providing the world with the worst tourists. And the stereotypically obnoxious American tourist? Out of 21 countries, with the most liked at the top, the US got an impressive 11th place. Why is that? Among other reasons, despite language faults, Americans get the top spot for trying to speak local languages the most. Quelle surprise.

While I was living in France a few years ago I remember that Ryan Air was in the throngs of becoming all the rage. The novelty of tickets that cost a mere euro was exciting and soon after low cost airlines began popping up all over the place. Unfortunately -- as many travelers will attest too -- an airline ticket rarely costs less than an espresso. Yes, the advertised fare may be low, but once you throw in all those fees and taxes the full price of your ticket can soon jump to triple digits.

In an attempt to be more fair to travelers, the European Parliament has agreed to ban airlines from advertising fares that don't include the necessary fees and taxes. The new regulation -- not officially voted on but approved as a "common position" of the assembly -- is set to take effect across the European Union at the end of the year. What does it mean? The bold figures that you see advertised by airlines will be the exact price you can expect to pay; no pesky hidden fees.

I can only wonder whether here in the US, with all the new baggage fees and beyond, we will go the same route?

Thanks Moody75!

Even if you manage to do more than a staycation this summer, vacations just aren't what they used to be. Along with paying to check baggage and incredibly high gas prices comes a whole new level of social responsibility; seems like we can't even take a simple American road trip without considering all the environmental costs involved.

For those of you that are concerned with just how green your summer travels are, the Sierra Club has two easy quizzes to figure out where your vacation ranks on the green scale. The How Green is My Destination quiz looks at the environmental impact of where you are going and the How Green is my Getaway quiz analyzes just how your mode of travel -- bike, bus, airplane, etc. -- changes the greeness of your upcoming vacay.

To take the quizzes click here.

I wanted to pick a great 4th of July shot to feature today, but then came across this amazing composition by pirano. Taken in Milano Centrale station, this photo manages to capture the hurried rush of two people running to catch their trains. But at the same time, being taken in black and white, the photo miraculously makes the central station seem very calm and organized. Definitely a shot worthy of framing and hanging on the wall to remind you of great travel moments.

Have a great shot you want featured? Submit it to the Gadling flickr pool to be considered for Photo of the Day.