Unconventional return of mare nostrum

Photo: Noborder Network (Flickr); License:  CC BY 2.0

Caught up in European news of conflict, one is always doomed to stumble upon more tragic, disheartening news about the Mediterranean refugee crisis and the European Union’s disappointing reaction to it. Having said that, I found this piece by Gwynne Dyer rather enlightening on what actually happens at sea. 

Despite the fact that after the horrific shipwreck in April that left approximately 700 people dead, the Triton mission budget was increased to about the same amount as Mare Nostrum, the aim of the mission did not change, and saving the people drowning still isn’t on top of the agenda. Dyer stresses the fact that national navies tend to stick to the maritime tradition of leaving no man drowning, ignoring the Triton aim that saving people will just be an incentive for more people to come. Dyer’s scathing criticism of the Triton mission casts a light on irresponsible behaviour of European politicians towards the crisis and the gravitas of the matter at hand.

THe importance of reading streetnames

Photo: Marcin Wichary (Flickr); License:  CC BY 2.0

On a lighter note, this article by Oliver Farry on the New Statesman entertained me by showing the importance of reading the street names of cities we visit. I admit that when strolling through the streets of Hamburg my eye has been drawn to the street names of far more contemporary figures such as a road honouring Martin Luther King and even a square dedicated to the Beatles. This is in contrast to the streets of Rome where I grew up which only has far older figures such as Garibaldi accompanying the ancient city itself. 

This has sparked a certain interest within me as to what criteria are involved in how you name a street and how significant it is for a city. Farry comments on the poetic nature of different European street names and a musical quality they contribute to a place as the "lyrics" of a city – a beautiful thought in my opinion!