Back from Holiday

<p>The long period of quiet here on the VE blog is over! While I've been away on holiday enjoying the fine weather and beauty of the Amalfi coast for a few weeks, lots has happened in VE and other mapping news. I'll get some detailed posts out later today or tomorrow after I get caught up, but a few that grabbed my eye as noteworthy are the release of Streets and Trips 2008 and a big European Birds Eye imagery update; Streets and Trips can now <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/streets/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=004&active_tab=Features" target="_blank">get traffic and gas price updated over FM radio</a> using the SPOT network (no internet connection required while you travel) and many major cities in Europe like Belfast, Barcelona, and Berlin are now blanketed with fresh oblique imagery. Stunning! check out Gaudi's <a href="http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=qx0gs1h5f28g&style=o&lvl=2&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=12552431&encType=1" target="_blank">Sagrada Familia</a>, which from the looks of it is still in the works :-) I created this <a href="http://maps.live.com/?v=2&cid=546E7E30AC2C5011!239&encType=1" target="_blank">Collection of Gaudi's amazing work</a> in Barcelona 2 years ago which takes on a whole new life with the addition of Birds Eye coverage for the city. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_G%C3%BCell" target="_blank">Park Güell</a> is one of the most surreal places you can walk through on Earth with its elaborate tiling and twisted lines, and should not be missed if you ever are in Barcelona. <p><a href="http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=qx0gs1h5f28g&style=o&lvl=2&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=12552431&encType=1" target="_blank"><img style="border-right:0px;border-top:0px;border-left:0px;border-bottom:0px" height=481 alt=image src="http://byfiles.storage.msn.com/y1pTcqBXnZTBA9z1AFP4Y_TatXjktcYFAwKj7bN5AL2Z42I1Gc FptljlNyX5SmLzBlVlxMelARxBuY" width=590 border=0></a> <p>600 more emails to catch up on... <div style="padding-right:0px;display:inline;padding-left:0px;padding-bottom:0px;margin:0px;padding-top:0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Antoni Gaudi" rel=tag>Antoni Gaudi</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Sagrada Familia" rel=tag>Sagrada Familia</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Birds Eye" rel=tag>Birds Eye</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Streets and Trips" rel=tag>Streets and Trips</a></div><img src="http://c.services.spaces.live.com/CollectionWebService/c.gif?cid=3151506992847969176&page=RSS%3a+Back+from+Holiday&referrer=" width="1px" height="1px" border="0" alt=""><img style="position:absolute" alt="" width="0px" height="0px" src="http://c.live.com/c.gif?NC=31263&NA=1149&PI=88469&RF=&DI=3919&PS=85545&TP=virtualearth.spaces.live.com&GT1=virtualearth">

Click here to view the article. (http://virtualearth.spaces.live.com/Blog/cns!2BBC66E99FDCDB98!9022.entry)