I picked up my husband from the airport last night. He's returned from a mind-boggling cross-country trip to four different cities in five days. He spent nearly 40 hours in airports or on airplanes, and he had the following observations to share.

Airlines are turning off the air conditioning units in the aircraft cabin while the plane is on the ground. Flight attendants are asking passengers to turn off reading lights and pull down window shades when the plane is parked at the gate because the air conditioning system is shut down. On my husband's flights, the announcer mentioned two reasons for this change - fuel savings and carbon emissions. (Yes, it got toasty onboard.)

My husband was thrilled to discover that, at least on his flights, Southwest Airlines was distributing unlimited snacks, both "healthy and unhealthy," as he put it.

The legacy airlines are definitely enforcing their "one free checked bag" policy. While he was checking in for his flights, my husband noticed that the airline representatives didn't ask travelers if they were traveling on military orders unless they presented a military ID card. (Active-duty military traveling on orders may check two bags for free.)

While my husband didn't purchase in-flight meals, he noted with pleasure that prices for the meals have fallen, at least on United and American and that the sandwiches looked fresh and appetizing.

Photo © Alex Parode

Yesterday's photo shows a balcony on the island of Ortygia, part of the city of Siracusa in Sicily. I chose this image because I love the winged horses and cherubs that seem to support the balcony.

Siracusa was founded as a Greek colony; it was later taken over by Carthage and then by Rome. As you might imagine, Siracusa is packed with ancient ruins and artifacts, but it also contains several ornate Baroque buildings. Ortygia, in particular, is a great place to explore on foot. You can walk along the streets and see the ruins and churches without having to trudge up hills or climb too many stairs. The food is excellent, too - lots of swordfish, eggplant and amazingly ripe tomatoes.

You can see pictures of Siracusa here.

Martha Bakerjian, About.com's Guide to Italy Travel, has written a handy Syracuse Travel Guide that will help you plan your trip to Siracusa.

See a list of About.com Wordless Wednesday posts here.

Read more about Wordless Wednesday here.

Photo © Steve Parode

If you're visiting Branson, Mo., soon, remember to pack a copy of your economic stimulus check or proof of direct deposit. Head over to the Branson / Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau office and show the copy to the staff. They'll give you a free voucher for two show tickets, which you can take to the show's box office to exchange for the actual tickets. You won't be able to choose which show you'll see, but the list of participating shows is impressive.

You can get more details about this promotion here.

Photo © Branson / Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau

The International Herald Tribune reported yesterday that the city of Venice has banned the sale of birdseed in Saint Mark's Square. Citing health concerns and pigeon-related damage to the city's churches and monuments, the municipal council has revoked the licenses of 19 birdseed-sellers. The council hopes that the pigeons will leave once their food supply disappears.

It seems to me, though, that your tour group's stop in Saint Mark's Square won't be the same without all those pigeons.

Photo © Nancy Parode

With gas prices climbing, I decided to check Greyhound's bus fares to see if they've gone up. Not surprisingly, they have. Of course, airfares and train tickets are also more expensive these days, so Greyhound still holds its own against other modes of transportation. Greyhound isn't the fastest way to get from Point A to Point B, and travel times don't always line up with daylight hours, but you can certainly save money if you travel by bus.

Long distance bus travel has many advantages, but there are some disadvantages to consider as well. Find out more about long-distance bus travel.

Photo © Tim Boyle / Getty Images

Read more about Wordless Wednesday here.

Photo © Nancy Parode

USA Today reports that Tropicana Entertainment has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Tropicana owns casinos in five states, including the well-known Tropicana Casino and Resort in Las Vegas.

Tropicana plans to continue operating its casinos in Nevada, Indiana, Mississippi and Louisiana, although it is in the process of selling two of the properties. The company lost its license to operate the Tropicana Casino and Resort in Atlantic City, N.J., last December, and is being forced to sell it.

Photo © Ethan Miller / Getty Images

Last fall, we visited friends in Germany and spent a lot of time touring the Rheinland-Pfalz region. I'd driven through the area many times on previous trips, but never bothered to stop and look at much of anything. I'm really glad we got out of our rental car and took some walks this time around.

One of my favorite spots in the Pfalz is Trifels Castle. Most English-language books and websites make much of the fact that King Richard I of England, the Lionheart, was imprisoned in Trifels Castle after he returned from the Crusades. This is true, but there's a lot more to Trifels Castle than that.

Trifels Castle served as the Holy Roman Emperor's treasure repository several times during its history. The royal crown and regalia were kept here. Today, you can see replicas of the crown, scepter and other royal items; the real items are now on display in Vienna. You can also visit nearly every room in Trifels Castle. Some rooms have exhibits (mostly in German), and you pretty much have free run of the place unless the castle is being used for a special event.

I had a great time just wandering through the castle, peering out the windows and staring down at the forests, rocks and towns below. There are definitely some great photo opportunities at Trifels Castle.

Trifels Castle is near the town of Annweiler. Visitors park in a lot near a restaurant (pay inside to park; please don't cheat!) and hike up to the castle. There are several hiking trails in the area. I'd love to go back and explore them some day.

Take a look at our Trifels Castle photos and see the castle, crown and countryside for yourself.

I'm glad so many people stopped by to see my first Wordless Wednesday photo. I thought I'd tell you a little about the sculpture in the photo today.

This outdoor sculpture, called Buchturm 1997 ("Book Tower 1997"), stands in a sculpture park just outside the city of Bad Münster am Stein-Ebernburg in Germany's Nahe wine region. The husband-wife team of Wolfgang Kubach and Anna Kubach-Wilmsen created this sculpture. Their stone book sculptures have been exhibited all around the world. You can see Kubach-Wilmsen sculptures in libraries, museums and gardens in Europe and the U.S.

The Steinskulpturenpark ("Stone Sculpture Park") you see in the photo is an outdoor exposition of several Kubach-Wilmsen works; the couple established the park in 1996. Admission is free, and when you visit you'll see local families walking the paths, enjoying the Nahe's mountain views and fresh air.