Viking helmets didn’t have horns.
Information is gold
Gold Coast will track visitors’ phones and credit cards to give it an edge over other destinations. The council’s digital city platform will collect location insights from telcos, Wi-Fi use, credit card spending on accommodation, retail, food and beverages, use of flights, public transport and Uber, and data from the devices around the area. “Nobody knows anything about people once they arrive. If every visitor to the Gold Coast bought an extra cup of coffee while they were here, that’s worth about $50m into the economy,” the council’s innovation and economy officer says.
The great cover-up
Barcelona police have given almost 200 emergency clothing kits to swimmers who find everything they left on the beach this summer has been stolen. The city-branded T-shirt, shorts, jandals, flip-flops and a metro ticket are particularly appreciated by visitors to its nudist beaches. Barcelona has 5km of beaches; the most popular with bathers and thieves is Barceloneta. At the foot of its main street, anyone relaxing in the sun will be interrupted every few minutes by hawkers offering beer, water, mojitos or cannabis, a sarong, massage or a henna tattoo.
Piece de Resistance
For eight days in 1944, a disused bomb shelter beneath the Paris streets was the command post of the French resistance. To mark the 75th anniversary, it’s opened as a museum. Visitors will see 250 phone lines and a bike-powered generator, as well as everyday objects that give a vivid idea of life under occupied rule — ration cards and wooden-soled shoes (rubber was in short supply) and pastels belonging to resistance hero Jean Moulin, who worked in an art gallery as cover.
Crossing sorts
In Aarhus, Denmark, it’s safe to cross when the green Viking is walking but you must stop when the red one is standing. To celebrate its founding in the 8th century, the city has lit up 17 crossing signals featuring Vikings holding axes and shields, but no horned helmets — Viking helmets didn’t have horns. It’s not the first to introduce the gimmick. Promoting gender equality, Vienna has “couples” lights at around 50 crossings, with a mixed, all-female or all-male couple plus a heart in Stop and Go versions, introduced to mark Conchita Wurst’s 2014 Eurovision Song Contest victory. A study reveals fewer people cross on red at lights featuring the couples. Maryborough, Queensland, has Mary Poppins lights; it’s the birthplace of author PL Travers.