Χρήστος Λάππας

Εν τω μεταξύ, η μισή Ευρώπη πνίγεται.

Το app του Eurosport δεν υπάρχει πια;

Europe's stunning high-tech luxury train 8 hours ago Share Erin Levi MOB (Credit: MOB) Tracing a medieval trade route through the Swiss Alps and valleys, the GoldenPass Express isn't just one of the world's most scenic train rides; it's an engineering marvel. As I sink into the plush, cream-coloured leather recliner, a glass of Champagne in hand and hiking boots raised, I'm ready for a three-hour spectacle where nature takes centre stage. But the stage isn't just in front of me – it's all around. I'm not in a theatre; I'm in Switzerland aboard the GoldenPass Express: a state-of-the-art panoramic train where floor-to-ceiling windows reveal stunning views of the Swiss countryside – from turquoise lakes that mirror towering mountain peaks to rolling meadows dotted with storybook chalets – that rival the grandest cinematic experiences. Sitting in the nine-seat Prestige Class carriage in a specially designed heated, swivelling chair feels both private and personal – as if I've got the snowcapped Alps, wildflower-laced pastures and bell-adorned cows to myself. Rail Journeys is a BBC Travel series that celebrates the world's most interesting train rides and inspires readers to travel overland. Opened in December 2022 and fully relaunched in June 2023 after addressing problems with track wear, The GoldenPass Express (GPX) is one of Europe's newest (and most luxurious) high-tech trains. Its 115km journey follows a medieval trade route connecting Interlaken's glaciers to Montreux's terraced vineyards, and thanks to a technological innovation, the GPX allows travellers to take one of the world's most scenic train routes without transferring, as passengers did previously. The GPX is one of five premium panoramic trains within the Swiss Travel System. Individual tickets range from 56-145 Swiss francs (roughly £50-130). It's also included in the Swiss Travel Pass (starting from 244 Swiss francs – roughly £219 – and children under 16 ride free of charge) which offers unlimited access to all public transportation (trains, trams, buses and passenger ferries), 50% off mountain railways and gondolas, and free admission to more than 500 museums. MOB The midnight-blue train's interior boasts floor-to-ceiling windows (Credit: MOB) The train's midnight-blue exterior and classic design evoke the bygone era of the original Orient Express that still connects Paris to Istanbul. Inside, the interior is crisp and cutting-edge, the Prestige Class specially designed chairs are by Ferrari-designer firm Pininfarina and are the only such rail seats in Europe. Need lower back support? There's a button for that. Tired feet? Elevate your legs. Feeling chilly? Just press the seat warmer. Want a different view? Simply pivot your seat to face the direction of your choice. Just don't fall asleep! But what truly sets the GPX apart from other luxury trains is something you can't see: it can seamlessly jump between tracks of different gauges and voltages. Built by Montreux-Oberland-Bernois Railway (MOB) in collaboration with BLS AG (BLS) in Bern, the train winds its way down from the heights of the Bernese Alps, passing the luxurious town of Gstaad, beloved by A-listers for its exclusivity and isolation, and Château d'Oex, famous for its hot air balloon festival (25 January-2 February 2025), before snaking through vineyards as it makes its dramatic descent towards the Vaudois Riviera. Finally, it reaches sun-soaked Montreux, where palms sway on the glistening shores of Lake Geneva. In 1905, when MOB set out to build the GoldenPass line, the aim was to connect Francophone Montreux to German-speaking Interlaken – two big touristic and economic hubs – with a single trainline. But somewhere along the way, MOB noticed the rail wasn't the same width; the gauges varied. It took 120 years to find a system bridging the gap. Alamy The GoldenPass line was created to link Interlaken with Montreux (Credit: Alamy) The world's railroads use a patchwork of varying gauges – mainly broad, standard and narrow. Railway development lacked industry standards in the 19th Century, leading to varied gauges to suit terrain, transport purpose and political influences. This is one of the main reasons why we often need to change trains when we're travelling. As Trains magazine senior editor David Lassen tells the BBC, "countries slow to settle on a single gauge paid the price with operating challenges". Case in point: Switzerland. The idea of directly connecting Lake Geneva to Lakes Thun and Brienz in Interlaken dates to the late 1800s. Since 1916, the Lucerne-Interlaken-Zweisimmen-Montreux route, known as the GoldenPass line, allowed travel between these destinations, but required two train changes because of the tracks' differing gauges. In 1928, the concept of adding a third rail was discussed. "That would have required building tunnels," said MOB product manager Fanny Moix. She explained that this was "technically impossible" because of a combination of bureaucracy and the complexity of building dual-gauge tracks through a busy, complicated junction. Alamy Switzerland has long used a patchwork of varying track gauges on its many train lines (Credit: Alamy) Still, as Interlaken Tourism markets manager Celina Finger maintains: "Changing trains is a huge hassle for tourists." It's also a reason why the GoldenPass line hasn't been as popular as its panoramic counterparts, like the Glacier Express. Now, instead of requiring travellers to change trains in the middle of the journey, the GPX can make the three-hour-15-minute journey directly, thanks to the revolutionary "variable gauge bogie". The technology, developed in 2022 after 15 years of research and costing 89m Swiss francs (£80m), was publicly funded by the cantons of Vaud, Bern, Freiburg and the Swiss Confederation. This innovation facilitates seamless transitions between narrow and standard gauges and voltage changes within seconds, effectively enabling a train to jump tracks while moving. It's a groundbreaking new standard in rail travel – not just in Switzerland, but globally. "[The GPX] is a link to our past and our future," said Frédéric Delachaux, MOB marketing director, explaining that it realises the centuries-old dream of linking Switzerland to Europe by rail via the Alps. As I made the historic journey for the first time, approaching Zweisimmen station, I hesitated to leave the comforts of my warm seat where I was nibbling on local cheeses (there is no full-service dining on board but there are local snack options). I stretched my legs and peered out the window as we briefly paused for the locomotive change, which allows the train to adapt to the electrical voltage change. A few minutes later, we were travelling towards Schönried, a ski resort town neighbouring Gstaad, and as the train carried on, I barely felt a thing. Getty Images The GPX travels from the Bernese Alps down towards the Vaudois Riviera (Credit: Getty Images) Meanwhile, as the train's elevation shifted ever so slightly (rising about 200 mm) to accommodate the gauge attrition and platform height, an engineering marvel was happening right below my feet – even if only a discerning train aficionado would notice it. "It's a big frustration for us in marketing because you don't feel anything!" lamented Delachaux. Perhaps the engineers did too good a job. Because of this, the gauge change is displayed on a screen to passengers as it's happening. More like this: • A new night train connecting some of Europe's great cities • One of the world's most scenic train lines • Europe's narrowest-gauge train While there are other trains in France and Japan that can move a few centimetres, "this is the only train in the world that moves 43cm", said Delachaux. It's perhaps no surprise that the Swiss were able to pull off this engineering feat. Living in a landlocked nation that's 70% mountainous and filled with some 1,500 lakes, people here have long had to negotiate the obstacles posed by their challenging terrain – and along the way, exemplified a certain determination and ingenuity that is decidedly Swiss. Getty Images In many ways, Swiss railroads represent a triumph of engineering (Credit: Getty Images) As Clarence Rook wrote in his 1907 book Switzerland and Its People: "There are bigger mountains in the world than may be found in Switzerland. But you will nowhere find in so small a space so many triumphs of engineering. The Swiss roads and railways stand as a monument to the victory of human skill over physical obstacles." And so, I wondered, are there plans to connect the entire GoldenPass line from its origin at Lucerne to Montreux? "That's the new dream," said Moix, laughing. "It's also a technical issue because between Lucerne and Interlaken we have a cog railway. That means we'd need to add a cog system to the GoldenPass Express, and that takes a lot of time – another lifetime." -- https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20240822-the-goldenpass-express-europes-stunning-high-tech-luxury-train

Μου έρχονται τουλάχιστον δύο την εβδομάδα. Υπάρχει μεγάλο πρόβλημα με την Booking.

Φοβάμαι ότι σε λίγες δεκαετίες αυτός θα είναι ο μοναδικός τρόπος να απολαύσει κανείς το σκι.

Καλώς ήρθες!

Χιλιάδες ανέβηκαν στον Χελμό – Τραγούδια που έγιναν ύμνοι Αιμίλιος Χαρμπής26.06.2024 • 12:58 Πριν από ένα δεκαήμερο, τα ελληνικά Μέσα γέμισαν με αναφορές στον Θανάση Παπακωνσταντίνου και στο «αντίο» που εκείνος είπε, έπειτα από δεκαετίες, στις συναυλίες από το Θέατρο Βράχων. Στην πραγματικότητα, η τελευταία συναυλία του γνωστού τραγουδοποιού δόθηκε τα ξημερώματα της περασμένης Δευτέρας στα 1.700 υψόμετρο και κάτω από ένα γεμάτο φεγγάρι, στο Χιονοδρομικό Κέντρο Καλαβρύτων, όπου διεξήχθη το δεύτερο Helmos Mountain Festival. Η σεμνότητα που διακρίνει τον καλλιτέχνη είναι πιθανότατα εκείνη που δεν τον άφησε να αποχαιρετήσει –και έτσι να τραβήξει όλη την προσοχή πάνω του– σε μια συναυλία που δεν θεωρεί «δική του», αφού εκεί την ίδια και τις προηγούμενες ημέρες εμφανίστηκαν πολλοί ακόμη μουσικοί. Η πλειονότητα ωστόσο των σχεδόν 11.000-12.000 ανθρώπων που βρέθηκαν το τετραήμερο 21-24 Ιουνίου στο βουνό, ήρθε για εκείνον. Για να γίνουν μάρτυρες μιας ιστορικής στιγμής και ταυτόχρονα να ταξιδέψουν μια τελευταία φορά στην «Κοιλάδα των Τεμπών». Η βραδιά ξεκίνησε με το στακάτο χιπ χοπ του Ταφ Λάθος και συνεχίστηκε, με την Ιουλία Καραπατάκη να ανεβάζει το κέφι με μερικά καλοδιαλεγμένα έντεχνα και λαϊκά κομμάτια· από εκεί σκυτάλη στον Αλκίνοο Ιωαννίδη, ο οποίος τραγούδησε γνώριμα και αγαπημένα, μίλησε πολιτικά και αποχαιρέτησε λίγο πριν από τα μεσάνυχτα, ενώ πια η ανυπομονησία –και κάποια κούραση– ήταν σχεδόν απτή. Ολα αυτά, βέβαια, ξεχάστηκαν μετά από λίγο. Εχοντας την άνεση να απλώσει το πρόγραμμα περισσότερο από τις εννέα sold out αθηναϊκές συναυλίες, ο Θανάσης και οι (υπέροχοι) συνοδοιπόροι του μας κράτησαν «στις φτέρνες» μέχρι τις 4 το πρωί, στέλνοντας από τη σκηνή το ένα μετά το άλλο τραγούδια, που με έναν μαγικό τρόπο έχουν γίνει ύμνοι στα χείλη ανθρώπων, πολλοί από τους οποίους ήταν αγέννητοι όταν εκείνα κυκλοφόρησαν. Η «Κ» βρέθηκε το περασμένο τριήμερο στο Χιονοδρομικό Κέντρο Καλαβρύτων και παρακολούθησε από κοντά το Helmos Mountain Festival, το κατασκηνωτικό μουσικό γεγονός, που ανέβασε στο βουνό 12.000 επισκέπτες. Μια γειτονική παρέα, γύρω στα 22-23, σχολίαζε με θαυμασμό τι απίθανη φωνή είναι αυτή η… Μάρθα Φριντζίλα. Κάποιοι άλλοι, μεγαλύτεροι, παρακολουθούσαν δακρυσμένοι την εκτέλεση του «San Michele», ενώ παραδίπλα στηνόταν τρελός χορός. Αυτή η έκρηξη συναισθημάτων, εικόνων και (κυρίως) η βαθιά επικοινωνία μεταξύ σκηνής και κοινού είναι το απόσταγμα των συναυλιών του Παπακωνσταντίνου. Ο συνεπώνυμός του, Βασίλης, μετρώντας πια πέντε ολόκληρες δεκαετίες στο τραγούδι, έδωσε το βράδυ του Σαββάτου το δικό του συγκινητικό λάιβ στο Χελμό, παίζοντας ακούραστα επί ώρες, πριν παραδώσει (ταιριαστά) τα ηνία στους σύγχρονους Ελληνες ρόκερ Villagers of Ioannina City. Παρουσιάζοντας το πιο ενδιαφέρον ίσως πρόγραμμα του τριημέρου, οι VIC ένωσαν στη σκηνή κλαρίνο και ηλεκτρική κιθάρα σε ουρανομήκη σόλο, τα οποία δυστυχώς απόλαυσαν κάπως λιγότεροι θεατές λόγω της περασμένης ώρας και της κούρασης. Ετσι είναι όμως τα ορεινά φεστιβάλ. Θέλουν αντοχές και ταυτόχρονα προσφέρουν ελευθερία κινήσεων (και πνεύματος). Το Helmos Mountain Festival, στη δεύτερη μόλις χρονιά του, κρίνεται επιτυχημένο. Αν και πάντα υπάρχουν περιθώρια βελτίωσης, η διοργάνωση προόδευσε, προσφέροντας μια ολοκληρωμένη κατασκηνωτική-μουσική εμπειρία με πολλές παράλληλες δραστηριότητες για μικρούς και μεγάλους. Και πάνω στη σκηνή το πρόγραμμα ήταν πολυσυλλεκτικό: ροκ, έντεχνο, λαϊκό, αλλά και μπόλικο χιπ χοπ, που τραβάει σαν… μέλι ιδίως τις μικρότερες ηλικίες. Αντε, και του χρόνου. https://www.kathimerini.gr/culture/563095516/chiliades-anevikan-ston-chelmo-tragoydia-poy-eginan-ymnoi/

Μόλις μου ήρθε email από το Fatmap: Hey there, Thank you for being a dedicated member of the FATMAP community. Since we started FATMAP 10 years ago, your outdoor adventures and expeditions have made FATMAP the world’s most powerful 3D map. FATMAP and Strava joined forces in January 2023 to make outdoor experiences more accessible. Over the next few months, we’ll bring FATMAP’s 3D mapping and other features to Strava to create the world’s best platform for planning, navigating, and sharing outdoor adventures with the largest global community of active people. As we move towards this joint mission, we will retire the FATMAP app and website on October 1, 2024. Until then, you’ll be able to use all the FATMAP features you currently enjoy. After October 1, the FATMAP app and website will no longer be available. If you’d like to move your FATMAP routes to Strava or receive a copy of your FATMAP adventures, routes, waypoints, photos, and guidebooks, follow the steps outlined here before October 1st. After that date, your data will be deleted permanently. You can join Strava for free or download the app on the App Store or Google Play. Once you migrate your FATMAP routes to Strava, they will be available as Saved Routes in your Profile on the mobile app and in your Dashboard on the Strava website. When you move your FATMAP routes to Strava, you consent to your data being transferred from FATMAP to Strava, which is headquartered in the U.S. For more information about your rights regarding your personal data on FATMAP, learn more here. Most mapping features on Strava, including route creation, route discovery, offline downloads, flyover and personal heatmaps, require a Strava subscription. If you aren’t currently a Strava subscriber, redeem a free 60-day trial by December 31, 2024. You can cancel your subscription at any time during the trial and continue to use Strava for free when your trial ends. We’d like to say thanks once again for the part you have played in FATMAP’s community. We look forward to seeing more of your adventures on Strava in the future! See you out there, Team FATMAP

Three missing in Swiss floods as Alpine resort Zermatt cut off 7 hours ago By Jacqueline Howard, BBC News Eurovision News The river tore through the resort town of Zermatt on Friday Three people are missing after floodwaters swept through the south-eastern Swiss town of Misox in the alpine valley of Graubünden. A massive thunderstorm on Friday night caused rivers to break their banks, flooding streets and causing several dozen residents to be evacuated from their homes, local authorities said. Further west, the alpine resort of Zermatt has been isolated by floodwaters. Footage from the town, which lies at the base of the iconic Matterhorn mountain, showed floodwaters raging through the streets on Friday. Train services between Visp and Zermatt have been suspended, and the road between Täsch and Zermatt has been closed, leaving the resort completely inaccessible. Authorities had prepared for some overflow, restricting public access to the banks of the Rhône and its off-shoot rivers from Friday. The Graubünden government said it was following the situation with "great concern" and issued thanks to the local emergency services. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crggyrmd307o

Πολύ ενδιαφέρουσες πληροφορίες!

Μισό γιατί κάτι μου διαφεύγει εδώ. Ο ορισμός του αποσυμπλεκόμενου αναβατήρα δεν είναι ότι μειώνει κατά πολύ την ταχύτητα του όταν είναι στην επιβίβαση και αποβίβαση αλλά στην υπόλοιπη διαδρομή πάει πολύ πιο γρήγορα;

Το σύστημα Αφροδίτη Βάκχος δούλευε στην πλήρη ταχύτητα του;

Έχουν να φάνε κόσμο τα Καλαβρυτα που δεν θα ξέρουν τι να τον κάνουν…

Μπήκε με τσαμπουκά το καλοκαίρι…