Latest news with #Barras
New York Post
3 days ago
- New York Post
Tourists slam popular European vacation spot for being overcrowded: ‘Hundreds of people trying to see the sunset at once'
It might not be all it's cracked up to be. Summertime is when many tourists travel to European hotspots like Italy and Greece — but oftentimes the experience people encounter there during the busy season is anything but relaxing. According to Jam Press, 27-year-old Gabriella Barras spent close to $3,000 on a four-day trip to Santorini — an extremely popular Greek island many vacationers flock to for its picturesque villages and stunning beaches. She went into her trip with undoubtedly high expectations, but Barras was unfortunately anything but impressed due to the island being overrun by eager tourists. 'I expected Santorini to be a picturesque, relaxing and gorgeous holiday,' Barras told Luxury Travel Daily. 3 Most people expect a quiet, relaxing European vacation when they travel to places like Greece. Jam Press 'The overflow of tourists at every given spot we went to was overwhelming and definitely not the gorgeous, relaxing retreat I was expecting. There were hundreds of people trying to see the sunset at once.' 3 However, this scene is what they often experience instead. Jam Press While it's hard to deny that travel hotspots like Santorini are stunning — sometimes the influx of pushy tourists can take away from the place's charm and history. 'While it was indeed picturesque and the views were phenomenal, I didn't think that there was much old school tradition and culture. It's so commercialised to the point where I didn't necessarily find it relaxing at all.' And Barras isn't the only one who was disappointed by her European summer vacation. 3 Crowds fighting each other to get a peek of the Santorini sunset. Jam Press It's one thing to be in a crowd of people, feeling like a herd of cows in a popular island town — but trying to travel from one place to another using public transportation is another frustrating feat. Traveler, Claire, also stayed in Santorini and struggled fighting the crowds to board a bus to visit another part of the island. 'Trying to get on a bus was animalistic mayhem,' she told Luxury Travel Daily. 'We were getting the bus back from Kamari to Fira, and the bus stop had heaps of people all scrambling to get on it. 'There was no line at the bus stop to make it orderly, so it was a free-for-all.' The overcrowding of summer tourists in European countries has gotten out of hand over the past several months. Earlier this summer, thousands of tourists caused a 'gridlock' of both traffic and people to access Sirmione, a resort town situated on the scenic shores of Lake Garda in northern Italy. Dramatic footage of the rowdy scene was posted to X with the caption: 'Overrun by tourists — chaos, gridlock and hours of waiting. A crisis that must be urgently addressed and regulated. It damages our heritage and turns the experience into a negative one…'
Glasgow Times
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Tenement Trail returns with Pale Waves as headliners
Tenement Trail will return on October 11, bringing a full day of live music to the city's east end and iconic venues including the Barrowland Ballroom, Saint Luke's and BAaD. Headliners Pale Waves will lead the charge, with a diverse roster of artists including Chloe Slater, Do Nothing, Gallus, and Soapbox. (Image: Supplied) Heather from Pale Waves said: "We're very excited to be headlining Tenement Trail this October. "My dad was born and raised in Glasgow so I have plenty of family still there so the city holds a special place in my heart. Read more: Man charged in connection with death of man in Paisley "Also Barrowlands on a Saturday night is going to be unhinged in the best possible way. "I'm ready for chaos." Tickets are now on sale at The festival has previously showcased now-household names such as Lewis Capaldi, Yungblud and Sam Fender. (Image: Supplied) Chae Houston, founder of Tenement Trail, said: "To still be standing after a decade, we're absolutely buzzing and could not be more proud of this year's line-up. "The scene is better than ever and our line-up of Scottish artists really shows that. "Pale Waves are an iconic headliner, their Barras show will be outrageously good. "Cannot wait to see everyone in October." The event promises 12 hours of live music, with fans able to move between venues throughout the day and into the early hours. Tennent's Lager will return as the festival's official beer partner. Max Fraser, brand manager at Tennent's Lager, said: 'Tenement Trail is a brilliant and exciting display of incredible Scottish music and touring artists and with it happening a stone's throw from our home at Wellpark, we cannot wait to support the festival and see it light up the East End again in October.'
The Herald Scotland
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Much-loved Glasgow multi-venue music festival back for 2025
The festival takes place over 12 hours across multiple venues in Glasgow's East End, including the Barrowland Ballroom, Saint Luke's and BAaD. Headliners Pale Waves will be joined by a mix of artists including Chloe Slater, Do Nothing, Gallus, Soapbox, Sister Madds, The Rooks, The Zebecks, and Vanderlye. Heather Baron-Gracie of Pale Waves said: "We're very excited to be headlining Tenement Trail this October. My dad was born and raised in Glasgow so I have plenty of family still there so the city holds a special place in my heart. Also Barrowlands on a Saturday night is going to be unhinged in the best possible way I'm ready for chaos!" Read More: Tennent's Lager will return to support Tenement Trail as the official beer partner of the festival. Max Fraser, Tennent's Lager Brand Manager, said: 'Tenement Trail is a brilliant and exciting display of incredible Scottish music and touring artists and with it happening a stone's throw from our home at Wellpark, we cannot wait to support the festival and see it light up the East End again in October.' Chae Houston, Tenement Trail founder, said: 'To still be standing after a decade, we're absolutely buzzing and could not be more proud of this year's line-up. The scene is better than ever and our line-up of Scottish artists really shows that. Pale Waves are an iconic headliner, their Barras show will be outrageously good. Cannot wait to see everyone in October!' Tickets for Tenemental Trail 2025 are on sale here
The Herald Scotland
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
New Garnethill gallery to celebrate city's graffiti scene
With the public opening of the space set for Friday the 6th of June, the duo is hard at work. Setting down his tools for a brief chat, Ciaran tells me: 'I've known Panda since I was 16. We've both been part of the street art and graffiti scene in Glasgow, and various other art scenes in the city for all of our adult lives. 'Whenever I'd speak to Panda about future dreams and plans we had, a gallery was always part of that equation — but it was a pipe dream.' Ciaran, who works as a sign painter, met Panda at college back in 2006. Sat behind a rough wooden counter with a box of Crimbles macaroons in arms reach, Panda adds: 'I've had my stall at the Barras for two and a half years. It was really close to Ciaran's studio — he'd come and visit a lot. We'd speak about how we wanted the city to change, and that planted the seeds of doing something together. 'One day I was walking past and noticed that the space was up for rent. I always imagined the side wall having a mural on it, but had never been inside before.' Panda at work in the new gallery. (Image: Gordon Terris) Panda points to the 2008 film Beautiful Losers, which documents the lives of street artists in New York, as the duo's 'North Star'. 'The film is about a lot of American artists from all sorts of backgrounds,' he notes. 'They forge a really beautiful community and become some of the biggest artists in America. 'We've been involved in this since we were so young, so it is strange that something similar hasn't happened here yet.' Panda says that Glasgow's sometimes-reticent attitude to street art has been sparked by the council's approach to graffiti. He pauses. 'Historically,' Panda explains, 'the council has been very conservative on street art and graffiti. They've had a zero tolerance approach, and spent the highest amount of any council in the UK in removing graffiti. 'But when you remove stuff, it makes things stagnant. Yet, over the last five years, things have begun to change, there have been a lot of murals springing up. I think most people are actually pretty positive about street art.' The duo have been friends for nearly 20 years. (Image: Gordon Terris) This sentiment has been echoed on social media, as 46,000 people have followed the gallery's transformation on Panda's Instagram account. Ciaran adds: 'The immediate community here in Garnethill have been super positive about us moving in, because this building has lay in a semi-dilapidated state for quite some time. 'The exterior was subject to a lot of wear and tear, so as soon as we started slapping paint on it, we got a great reaction - the neighbours loved it. 'We've only been working on it for one month, but it's been a complete team effort - inside and out. If it was just me and Panda doing it, we'd be nowhere near finished but everyone has chipped in — it shows how much people want this. 'We've had joiners, stonemasons, glazers, electricians, neon sign installers and others help out.' Read more from Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco: My trek up the Royal Mile — what do tourists say about Scotland's capital? Calls to bring back this 'unique' detail in Princes Square shopping centre How much has new trains procurement cost taxpayers? Scot Gov refuses to say Top Scottish universities to review trans policies after Supreme Court ruling A crowd-funder set up to help with renovation costs raised nearly £12,000, with more than 300 people chipping in. The gallery will be open five days a week, Wednesday to Sunday; and sell affordable prints, merchandise, and artwork from close friends and fellow street artists. At the core of the gallery will be a rotating floor show each month, showcasing artists from across Glasgow. The first show, entitled 'Friends', is set to run between 6 June and 3 July. Panda says he hopes that the gallery will serve as a social space for Glasgow's arts community. The shop will be open five days a week. (Image: Gordon Terris) The artist has previously shared his experiences of drinking and drug-taking, and how committing to his work has helped to keep him sober. As a fitting tribute to the redemptive power of art, the gallery will open on the eight anniversary of Panda's sobriety. Panda tells me: 'We all used to hang out at the Art School union back in the day, and always went along to shows at Recoat gallery.' 'We want to create something similar — a regular community for artists. We want each show to be an excuse for people to come together.'
The Herald Scotland
31-05-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Scotland's Hong Kong community thriving despite China fears
Chan (not his real name) is one of those involved in the running of the market. He tells The Herald: "Our community was established three years ago, a lot of Hong Kong people moved to Scotland and the UK because of the political situation. 'The oppression is still going on so there are still a lot of people moving here. Read More: 'Three or four years ago we had some volunteers who gave us the idea to set up a community for our own people and think about how we could contribute to the city and how to integrate into this country. 'We started from zero. One day I spoke to a manager at the Barras and we had the idea to do a Hong Kong market, and that's where it all started. This is the third year we've done. "We have lots of authentic street food, stuff you can't even imagine. Most of the traders make homemade food, it's not something you can find in the restaurant. "We also have traditional Hong Kong crafts, an exhibition on connections to Scotland, workshops where people can learn traditional Chinese calligraphy and also some cultural exchange workshops and a kung fu performance and Hong Kong music." As of the 2021 census the population of Scotland born in Hong Kong was just under 12,000 but the data was collected less than two months after a new visa scheme was introduced. Following the introduction of a new national security law by the Chinese government, British National (Overseas) residents and their dependents can apply for a renewable five-year visa. This year the first wave of Hong Kongers who arrived under the scheme will be eligible to apply for permanent residency. The Hong Kong market in Glasgow (Image: Gordon Terris) Lok Pui Lo tells The Herald: "When I first arrived here four-and-a-half years ago it was Covid times so there wasn't a lot of community. 'In the last one or two years there have been a lot of organisations set up by people from Hong Kong like the badminton club, events specifically for Hong Kong people, the New Year market "Before we get the permanent residency we're still immigrants who don't have a home. If we aren't granted the indefinite leave to remain that means we could be sent back to Hong Kong at any time. 'It's proof that I'm a UK citizen, finally, and I won't have to go back to Hong Kong if things don't work out.' The fear of going back to Hong Kong is a real one. In 2019 a proposed bill which would have allowed for the extradition of accused criminals to other territories, including mainland China. Its introduction came after a 19-year-old Hong Kong resident, Chan Tong-kai, murdered his pregnant girlfriend in Taiwan and flew back to Hong Kong. He admitted to the authorities that he had killed her, but he could not be tried for her murder as it happened in Taiwan, and could not be extradited due to Hong Kong's status as a 'special administrative region' of China since it was handed over by the British in 1997. Hong Kong had no extradition agreements with mainland China as a safeguard to its separate legal system, and could not do a treaty with Taiwan as Beijing does not recognise it. When the bill was proposed critics immediately raised fears it could be used to arrest political dissidents, with the largest in the history of Hong Kong erupting. Protests in Hong Kong The bill was eventually withdrawn on October 23, 2019 but in June the following year a new national security law was passed criminalising "separatism, subversion, terrorism and foreign interference", punishable up to life in prison, which many feared would lead to a crackdown on civil liberties. In response the British government offered the visa programme to those at risk. The reach of the Chinese Communist Party is long though, with Amnesty International reporting that students studying abroad are harassed and subject to surveillance to prevent them engaging with "sensitive" issues while overseas. In 2022 a human rights group alleged the CCP was running a secret police station at the Loon Fung restaurant in Glasgow, though Police Scotland found no evidence of any criminality. Safeguard Defenders said the Chinese government was using a network of such offices to intimidate dissidents and criminal suspects and try to pressure them into returning to China. The group's report said 'persuasion to return' involved techniques such as refusing to renew passports; surveillance or punishment of family back in China; or direct threats, surveillance and harassment by undercover agents, embassy and consulate staff, and secret police. Officially all the police stations were shut down in 2023, but the Hong Kong community feels the eyes of Beijing at all times. Chan says: "This is something very real for us, it's something we fear every day. "We see news from Hong Kong and we still see the government arresting people when they arrive there. Three months ago there was a girl who posted something on Facebook when she was living in Japan, she went back to Hong Kong to visit her family and the police arrested her at the airport. 'This tension is always there in our community, the tension hasn't left us even since we moved to this country. 'The long-armed repression is something very real, especially in Glasgow where we know secret police stations are being run in Chinese restaurants. Police Scotland have said they can't find any evidence but to run something like that you don't need any paperwork, all you need is a back room. 'Even when I'm speaking with you, I said going into the interview that I don't want to disclose my identity, and that's for the same reason. "It's a very broad law, and after it passed they did arrest a lot of people. 'That's why as an organisation we always keep a very low profile and are very careful about what we're doing, and a lot of organisations have been silenced. 'A lot of us have family who still live in Hong Kong, so even when we're just making a market like this we are very careful. 'There are a lot of Chinese students who study here and we are sure that not all of them are students. We're being monitored, that is something that is undeniable for us. 'This fear still exists even living in this country.' The Hong Kong market in Glasgow (Image: Gordon Terris) The Hong Konger community may be small but it's growing, and keen to become a firm part of Scotland's cultural milieu. Chan says: "When we started our community we started to research some of the links between Scotland and Hong Kong and we found there's a big historical relationship. 'Three governors of Hong Kong were Scottish and one of the most well-regarded governors of Hong Kong, David Wilson, has the longest footpath in the country named after him. 'We tried to dig out the history and we've made an exhibition that we'll show at the Hong Kong market. 'We want local people to understand that we are moving here but we're not coming to claim benefits we're coming to integrate in this country. The Hong Kong market is a chance to show that too. "We welcome everyone, and the most important thing is that we want to help local people understand why we're here and what we're doing. 'In the exhibition we have a small part where we interview some of the Hong Kong people about what they've been doing since they moved to this country: what have they contributed, what have they established? 'One of the interviewees started a bicycle charity, and that's the kind of thing we want to show especially since immigration has been such a hot topic recently. 'We want to break the bias against immigrants.'
