Fliers, please take your saddles

Airbus's patented saddle seats: No word yet on whether the in-flight menu will feature sardines.

• Airbus publishes patent for folding saddle seats with low backrests


• Vertical seat design packs more passengers into cabins


• Spokesperson says patent application does not mean design will be developed

(CNN) -- For air travelers who like to gripe about being cramped in economy, here comes another warning that they've never had it so good.

Airbus has filed a patent application showing detailed renderings of what may be the plane seat of the future.

The design shows narrow rows of folding saddle seats with low backrests on which passengers perch rather than recline.

The patent application, which makes even the most budget of budget airline seating look luxurious, was published last month and is available for viewing by the public.

The Skyrider is another saddle seat design that was unveiled in 2010.

As CNN reported last week, a new study says the vertical passenger seat may be the next big cost-cutting move in aviation.

Upright seat designs would allow airlines to pack more passengers into a cabin and provide an affordable alternative to public transportation on short haul flights.

The patent says current seating configurations have reached their passenger limit but numbers can be increased by switching to saddle-style designs (presumably stowing travelers in the overhead compartments has been ruled out).

It says the saddle format will accommodate four seats into a space previously occupied by three.

The Airbus design is somewhat similar to the SkyRider, a perching saddle for planes developed by Italian firm Aviointeriors and unveiled at an expo in 2010.

READ: World's most luxurious passenger jets revealed

If Airbus is looking for positive feedback for its design, it may struggle.

The UK's Daily Telegraph likened the patent to "the inside of a galley," under the headline "The world's most uncomfortable plane seat?"

An Airbus spokesperson told CNN that the patent didn't necessarily mean it would be saddling up its aircraft anytime soon.

Straight from the Airbus drawing board.

"Airbus files hundreds of patents each year -- this is what innovative companies do," Airbus UK head of media relations Robert Gage said via email.

"Many patents never become reality and there is no expectation that this would. It is really to preserve an idea and has not developed beyond this stage."

Gage said that even if the designs were to be developed, it would be up to airlines would choose the seating configurations and type.

MORE: See-through cabins and passenger pods: Is this the future of flight?

Europe's oldest pastry shops

For those who like a slice of history -- and art -- with their cake, shops like Maison Bertaux, in London's Soho district, have all the right ingredients.

It's arguable which is more ornate, the shop's exterior or the pastries inside. Confeitaria Nacional has been serving its custard tarts to the people of Lisbon since 1829.

Lisbon's Confeitaria Nacional is known for its Bolo Rei Christmas cake -- a recipe including dried and candied fruits that was imported from France in the 19th century.

Ruszwurm Cukraszda in Budapest has survived sieges, a revolution and World War II since opening its doors in 1827. Most of its creamy pastries, however, don't survive more than a few hours.

The Ruszwurm Cukraszda pastry shop in Budapest still contains most of its original fixtures from the early 19th century.

The Hofbackerei Edegger-Tax has been an institution in the Austrian city of Graz since the 1880s. The imperial insignia over its doorway attests its popularity with local royalty.

Another royalty-linked pastry purveyor, La Maison Stohrer was founded in Paris in 1730 by a Polish chef who once cooked for the wife of Louis XV.

Opened in 1858 by a French immigrant, Cafe Tortoni in Buenos Aires has served its desserts to luminaries such as Albert Einstein and Hillary Clinton. No word if either wore a scrunchie to keep hair out of their cream cakes.

• Hofbackerei Edegger-Tax in Graz, Austria, has been serving cakes since the 14th century


• Many ancient pastry emporiums, like La Maison Stohrer in Paris, claim royal patronage


• Ruszwurm Cukraszda in Budapest has survived sieges, a revolution and World War II

(CNN) -- They say travel broadens the mind, but when there's cake involved other body parts are also at risk of broadening.

Sugar lurks around every street corner, particularly since the diabolical cupcake revolution began foisting its caloric concoctions on an unsuspecting public.

Innovation helps chef stay on top

London eats up cronut baking craze

How one chef transformed the macaron

While cupcakes might be a passing fad, some dessert offerings seem impervious to change.

In a few lucky corners of the world, pastry makers have been perfecting their creations for generations, reaching the point where they're works of art.

Here are nine of the world's oldest pastry shops -- tried and trusted by centuries of cake-hungry visitors.

Hofbackerei Edegger-Tax (Graz, Austria)

This bakery has been coming up with the goods since the 14th century and has been at its current location since 1880.

The ornately carved, arched wooden doors and storefront crowned by the Austro-Hungarian imperial coat of arms -- a gold two-headed eagle holding a sword and a globe above the door -- attest to its age and popularity with local royalty.

This was, after all, a "Purveyor to the Imperial and Royal Court."

Its traditional Sissi Busserl cookies, named after Empress Elizabeth of Austria, are worth trying.

Celiac sufferers are in luck -- the bakery might be ancient but it's keeping up with the times by offering gluten-free products.

Hofbackerei Edegger-Tax , Hofgasse 6, Graz;. +43 316 83 02 300

La Maison Stohrer (Paris)

Continuing the theme of royalty with a fondness for fat, Paris's oldest pastry shop, La Maison Stohrer, can claim regal connections via Poland.

In 1725, when Louis XV married Polish princess Marie Leszczynska, his new bride brought along her father's pastry chef, Nicolas Stohrer, to Versailles.

Confeitaria Nacional: Stately, sweet.

Five years later Stohrer opened this pastry shop on Rue Montorgueil in Paris, and it's been serving royalty ever since -- Britain's Queen Elizabeth II stopped in during her 2004 state visit to France.

Commoners are welcome too.

Stohrer is credited with inventing "baba au rhum" -- a booze-soaked brioche named after a character in "The Thousand and One Nights" -- that's still a popular choice.

It's worth breaking eye contact from Stohrer's crammed pastry cases to check out the frescoes created by artist Paul Baudry in 1860.

Maison Stohrer , 51 Rue Montorgueil; +33 1 42 33 38 20

MORE: 6 iconic European cakes

Pietro Romanengo fu Stefano (Genova, Italy)

This ancient cafe is heavy on the confectionery and famous for its candied fruit.

The company was founded in 1780, opening the oldest of its two shops on Via Soziglia in 1814.

Not much has changed since.

Those visiting in May and June will witness Pietro Romanengo fu Stefano's staff engaged in annual labors to separate the petals used to produce the cafe's celebrated rose syrup and rose sugar.

Pietro Romanengo fu Stefano , Via Soziglia, 74/76, Genova; +39 010 2474574

Ruszwurm Cukraszda (Budapest)

Anyone visiting the 13th-century Matthias Church in Budapest could do worse than following their tour with a sugary pick-me-up at nearby Ruszwurm Cukraszda.

Located in the Buda Castle area, this pastry shop opened in 1827 and has survived sieges, a revolution and World War II.

The original Biedermeier-era interior and furniture is still in the shop today. The cabinets along the walls hold a collection of antiques related to confectionery.

The traditional Hungarian cream and sponge Dobos cake is a customer favorite, as is the shop's own creation, the Ruszwurm cream pastry.

Ruszwurm Cukraszda , Szentharomsg utca 7, Budapest; +36 1 375 5284

Confeitaria Nacional (Lisbon)

An ornate pastry shop with cream-colored walls trimmed in gold and overlooked by a mirrored ceiling, the Confeitaria Nacional opened in 1829 in a stately corner building on the Praca da Figueira square.

It's still run by descendents of the founder.

The traditional Portuguese Christmas cake Bolo-Rei (King's Cake) was brought to Portugal by Confeitaria Nacional's Baltazar Rodrigues Castanheiro Filho from the south of France in the 19th century.

Based on the seasonal French favorite Gateau des Rois, the Bolo-Rei is a bread-like cake with raisins, candied fruits and nuts.

At other times of year, it's worth trying one of their popular pasteis de nata custard tarts.

Confeitaria Nacional , Praca da Figueira 18B, Lisbon; +351 21 324 3000

Antigua Pasteleria del Pozo (Madrid)

When a baking shop's name contains the word "antique," it's either got some history behind it or the pastries are on the stale side.

Thankfully, it's the former with Antigua Pasteleria del Pozo.

This Madrid institution opened as a bakery in 1810 and then as a pastry shop in 1830, claiming the crown as the city's oldest.

It's stayed true its roots, providing traditional Spanish delicacies like bartolillos, a favorite with the locals.

Del Pozo is also famous for its roscon de reyes, a traditional treat usually only available during Epiphany but available here all year.

Change-proof cream cakes: Ruszwurm Cukraszda.

Antigua Pasteleria del Pozo, 8 Calle Pozo, Madrid; +34 915 22 38 94

MORE: Best pastries in Seoul

Blikle (Warsaw)

Reportedly a favorite of General Charles de Gaulle and Pope Paul II, Blikle, which opened in 1869, is still a family business.

The shop still operates in its original location, although the premises were completely rebuilt after being destroyed by the retreating Germans near the end of World War II.

There are now 20 Blikle shops scattered throughout Poland, but the original is the main attraction.

Favorite items include a version of a paczki (Polish doughnut), a glazed pastry filled with rose petal jam and sprinkled on top with candied orange peel.

Visitors will may have to join a line of locals waiting for this one, but they'll be taking part in a longstanding Warsaw tradition.

Blikle , 35 ul. Nowy Swiat 35, Warsaw; +48 22 826 45 68

Maison Bertaux (London)

For those who like a slice of contemporary art alongside their cake, London's oldest cafe usually obliges.

Since 1871, Maison Bertaux has been bringing French patisserie, including croissant, eclairs, fruit tarts and Gateau Saint-Honore, to the city's central Soho district.

In true French fashion, there's sidewalk seating available under Maison Bertaux's distinctive blue awnings.

Long a destination for arty types -- it's near Central St. Martin's art school -- Maison Bertaux made pop singer Lily Allen's French wedding cake and late designer Alexander McQueen's birthday cakes.

Famous visitors have included Nicole Kidman and Bob Geldof.

Co-owner Tania Wade mounts art shows in the cafe's basement and upstairs tea room.

Next up is the work of actor Timothy Spall, who was recently named best actor at the Cannes Film Festival.

Maison Bertaux , 28, Greek St., Soho, London; +44 20 7437 6007

Cafe Tortoni (Buenos Aires)

OK, we said oldest "European" pastry shops, but anyone hunting for a bit of France in Buenos Aires should check out Cafe Tortoni.

Opened by a French immigrant in 1858, Tortoni soon become the gathering place for the city's cultural elite and celebrities from around the world.

Einstein, Rubinstein, Borges and Hillary Clinton have all dropped in over the years.

Today, visitors can sample the cafe's hot chocolate with churros (fried dough covered in sugar and cinnamon), while taking in one of the nightly or weekend tango performances.

Cafe Tortoni , 825 Avenida De Mayo, Buenos Aires; +54 11 4342-4328

Danielle Beurteaux is a New York-based writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Health and PopularMechanics.com, and many other outlets. Her website is Daniellebeurteaux.

Riding solo through Iran as a woman

Crossing the Dasht-e-Lut (or Lut Desert) toward the ancient city of Yazd. British travel writer Lois Pryce spent 60 days motorcycling around the country, on her own.

Murals, posters and banners of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and Imam Khomeini loom over streets, parks and public buildings.

In Tehran, Pryce met the Iranian explorer Issa Omidvar, who motorcycled around the world from 1952 to 1962.

Everything you could ever need is for sale in Tehran's vast, labyrinthine bazaar.

That moment when Google Translate would come in handy. Outside main urban areas, many of Iran's road signs are in Farsi only.

Chadors are commonly worn by women in public areas.

Iranian streets are decorated with murals, from the militaristic to the mundane.

A warm welcome at a hotel in Shiraz, apparently Iran's friendliest city. Pryce found that, despite its reputation as an extremist state, Iran's people were invariably friendly and hospitable.

Two common sights of Iran: murals of the war "martyrs" and the ubiquitous Paykan, a vehicle also known as the Iranian chariot.

Salesmen ply their trade in the dusty streets of Yazd. Surrounded by desert in the center of the country, Yazd is renowned for its exquisite handicrafts.

A mural on a military compound in Tehran's Felestin Square commemorates "The Imposed War," as the Iran-Iraq war is known locally.

Fin Garden in Kashan, Iran's oldest Persian garden, was completed in 1590.

Outside the Shah's palace, only the legs remain of his colossal statue that was toppled during the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

A happy trucker. This pretty much sums up Pryce's experience with Iranians.

Pryce's route took her over the remote Alborz Mountains.

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• British travel writer Lois Pryce motorcycled 3,000 miles through Iran on her own


• Her travels revealed a nation divided between an authoritarian regime and a friendly, welcoming people


• Breaking into 1980s song "The Final Countdown" with an ex-army general was one of her highlights

(CNN) -- "You! You have moto, yes?"

An elderly woman, her craggy face peering out from the folds of her voluminous black chador, demands my attention.

I'm in the immigration line at the Turkey-Iran border and my heart is pounding as I wait to be stamped into the Islamic Republic.

I nod warily, confirming that yes, that is me -- a solo female with a British passport and a motorcycle.

I adjust my headscarf, fearing that my interrogator is a member of Iran's infamous "morality police," the hardliners instructed to arrest women for "immodest" behavior.

She jabs me in the chest.

"You come with moto?" she asks again, twisting an imaginary throttle and even adding a few "vroom vroom" sound effects.

I'm still not sure if I'm in trouble but her opinion becomes clear when she grabs my face and gives it an enthusiastic slap, before pulling me in for a rib-crushing hug.

"Very good! Very good!" she shouts while I gasp for breath among the folds of her chador.

"I am wishing you all the luck in the world!"

MORE: 10 of the world's best motorcycle rides

Finding the 'real' Iran

This enthusiastic welcome sets the scene for my entire journey -- motorcycling 3,000 miles around Iran solo and female, from the rugged northwest of the country to the Caspian Sea and over the remote Alborz Mountains to the fume-choked streets of Tehran.

My motivation?

Curiosity about the huge gulf between how Iran is perceived in the West and what I hear about it from the few people I know who have been there.

Often painted in the media as a terrifying place full of extremists, travelers who return from Iran invariably rave about how wonderful and welcoming they found the Iranian people.

I wanted to discover the place for myself.

Following some wild times in the capital, where it turns out you can get everything from contraband bacon to booze, I continue through the peaceful Zagros Mountains to the ancient cities of Esfehan, Shiraz and the deserts of the south.

Reports of tourists being arrested for espionage are in the front of my mind when, at one border post, I'm frogmarched to the police station to be fingerprinted.

But, of course, a people and its government are two separate entities.

Persian hospitality is legendary and I find myself overwhelmed with generosity and kindness from Iranians keen to distance themselves from the negative image of their homeland -- from truckers stuffing pomegranates into my panniers to complete strangers insisting on paying for my hotel room and an endless stream of tea.

MORE: Exploring America's Main Streets on a motorcycle

The Alborz Mountains -- one of the larger challenges Pryce faced.

Challenging too

Of course, there are a couple of challenging moments, most often involving the police.

There are different kinds of police in Iran and on one occasion in Tehran a car full of plainclothes revolutionary guards deliberately drives into me.

On another occasion I'm assaulted at a remote desert gas station by a pump attendant who is probably on meth (quite common in the rural areas, I'm told).

Shouting, he lunges at me.

Luckily I'm still sitting on the bike, and after a kick in the right place I ride off as fast as possible.

But then I'm out in the desert with very little fuel ... a pretty scary scenario, too.

In fact, the very act of riding a motorcycle can be daunting in Iran as the driving can be insane.

Iran reportedly has the highest rate of road deaths and traffic related accidents in the world, so every morning I feel like I'm going into battle.

But the welcome from the people makes up for it manifold.

MORE: Iran: time for travelers to return?

Curious and curiouser

I'm also a source of intense curiosity myself, especially as Iranian women are forbidden from riding motorcycles in public.

Foreign travelers are rare in Iran and the sight of a UK-registered motorcycle caused much excitement among drivers who would pass me with an inch to spare, blasting their horns while hanging out the window and filming me on their phones.

As I travel around I'm passed from stranger to stranger, who quickly become friends, and as a result, find myself mingling with a range of Iranian society.

My hosts range from underground filmmakers and the designer-clad elite of Tehran to a rebel-rousing schoolgirl and Iran's celebrated explorer, Issa Omidvar, who motorcycled around the world in the 1950s.

Iranians remain warm and fun-loving people.

Some areas off limits

Riding isn't an entirely free affair though -- travelers must take care not to stray into military areas or near nuclear plants and taking pictures of military or official buildings is a no-no.

For my project, I'd snap them quickly and then be on my way, reminded that the authoritarian streak is never far away.

Vast murals of the Supreme Leader (Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei) loom over every street corner and everyone I meet has a story of police intimidation, arrests and the oppressive reality of life under the regime.

Where Google Translate would come in handy.

In the desert city of Yazd I'm invited to stay with an ex-army general and his family.

He fought in the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s and lost his legs in the conflict.

I'm wary of this invitation, wondering what I'll have in common with an Iranian veteran, but my concerns are unfounded.

He's far from the grizzled war-monger I fear and within moments of meeting he's cracking jokes and teaching me Farsi slang.

The highlight of the trip comes, unexpectedly, as we take the elevator in his apartment block to go out for dinner.

I'm learning the Persian numbers as we descend each floor and as we count "three, two, one" he announces in English, "It's the final countdown!"

We don't have to say anything. The two of us look at each other, laugh and burst into song.

"Da-da daa daa, da-da da da daa!"

This is the moment I know I'd been right to ignore the naysayers and to come and seek out the real Iran.

Neither East nor West

Iran has always prided itself on being "neither East nor West."

Geographically it stands between the two cultures, never aligning itself with either, making for the strong sense of Persian identity.

Sadly, the popular image of Iran today, fueled by the rhetoric of politicians means that the Iranian people are lumped in with Islamic extremists and terrorism.

This couldn't be further from the truth.

My travels unveiled a nation of sophisticated, kindhearted people eager to engage with the wider world.

If only their government would follow their example.

Lois Pryce spent two periods of 30 days traveling Iran in 2013 and 2014. You can follow her travels at Loisontheloose. A book and TV show based on the trip are in production.