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Wine Travel: America’s First Wine District

2008-02-13T01:48:00.000-08:00

America’s fascinating wine making history is rooted in the efforts of European immigrants, who brought their skills to America throughout the 1800’s. Long before California and other west coast wine producing states were settled, other areas of the country were busy producing wines from native grape vines growing in the wild. In the 1830’s, a group of German immigrants settled in the Missouri river valley, about an hour west of St. Louis near the present historic town of Hermann, Missouri.

Upon arriving in the river valley, settlers noticed the topographical similarity between their new home and their former areas in Germany and Switzerland. Grapes grew abundant on hillsides near the settlement, and cultivating the grapes as a cash crop was encouraged by town leaders. Soon, the abundance of grapes combined with European wine making skills, and America’s first wine district was born.

Ever since then, wine making in one form or another has continued in this picturesque Missouri river valley location. Complete with historic villages and temperate climate, the Hermann Wine Trail has become an up and coming destination for wine travel. Stretching from New Haven, MO on the east to the historic village of Hermann on the west, the area is now home to seven wineries encompassing a mere 20 miles.

Missouri has long been known for deep, rich red wines typically produced from traditional grape varieties such as Norton and Chambourcin. Wineries in this area use these native grapes to develop award winning varietes of Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignons, and Burgundy styles. But these wineries aren’t all about reds, as winemakers on this wine trail also produce clean and delightfully crisp styles like rieslings and chardonels.

A visit to the central Missouri wine trail usually begins with a visit to St. Louis. From St. Louis, travel west on Interstate 44 to Missouri Highway 100, continuing on Highway 100 twenty miles to the town of New Haven. This charming village is the eastern edge of the wine trail and is home to historic Robller Vineyard and Winery, which offers a spectacular view of the Missouri river valley.

Traveling west from New Haven, you’ll encounter the Bommarito Almond Tree Winery, a family owned estate winery. Try their award winning port and other offerings. Further west, you’ll find a unique winery and microbrewery combination, Bias Vineyards and Winery. Only the second such operation in the U.S., Bias produces a blush wine we especially enjoyed, River Blush Rouge.

As you reach the Hermann area, you’ll discover four thriving wineries offering the chance to try Missouri wine. Stone Hill, Oakglenn, Adam Puchta, and Hermannhof wineries all offer wine tasting, winery tours, and scenic views. Take time to savor the offerings at each. Among those we particularly enjoyed were Oakglenn’s spicy Chambourcin and Stone Hill’s Vidal Blanc. Stone Hill and Hermannhof are other must stops, not only for their fine wines but also for their historic settings.

The picturesque town of Hermann, Mo marks the western end of this roughly 20 mile wine trail. A perfect place for an overnight stay, the German and Swiss roots of Hermann are evident in the historic architecture, specialty shops, and restaurants. Hermann is also known for its proximity to the Katy Bike Trail and annual events like the Hermann Wurst Fest and many wine related events.

About the Author:
Jim Hofman is an author specializing in wine travel and U.S. wine trails. For the complete travelogue on this and other U.S. wine trails, you’re invited to join our free twice monthly online newsletter, where you’ll discover small wineries and wine trails across America.

Acapulco Travel Guide

2008-02-06T04:05:00.000-08:00

Made famous by its white sandy beaches, tropical jungles, glittery nightlife and daredevil cliff-divers, Acapulco is one of the best resort towns in Mexico. A popular port of call for cruise ships, this city caters to both the sun and fun seekers, as well as those looking for a little solitude. There is definitely something for everyone in this sunny destination paradise

Acapulco Trips
Plan a trip to Acapulco with insights from RealTravelers like you. Browse top rated travel blogs and get ideas on things to see and do. Price compare flights, hotels and packages, and find great deals to get you there.

Acapulco Deals

Find great travel deals for your next vacation to Acapulco choosen weekly by our editorial team. Price compare flights, hotels and packages, and select the best travel deals to get you there.

Travel Rotorua

2008-01-28T03:11:00.000-08:00

A guide to travel Rotorua. All the best spots from a local who knows how to travel in Rotorua. It is hoped this guide to travel Rotorua will enhance your visit when touring this geothermal wonderland.

Introduction:-

If you had only one day in the North Island of New Zealand and you asked me where should one should go for that day I would without hesitation say Rotorua.

This Blog is my personal guide to Rotorua from someone who has visited it more times than I can remember and if given the chance I would visit it again. This website is non-commercial and is intended to be for general information.

Location:-

Rotorua is approximately 2.5 - 3 hours drive south of Auckland. Head south through Hamilton and Cambridge, or for a quicker route via Mata Mata. Shortly after Cambridge turn left and take the number 5 which will lead you right to Rotorua. Coming up from Wellington head to Lake Taupo and take the number 5 to Roturua. Train and Bus routes also service Rotorua.

Three Things You Can't Do in Colorado Right Now

2008-01-28T03:10:00.000-08:00

Fly into Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE), which closed on April 9 and remains so until June 7 for runway rehabilitation and other improvements. The good news is that the airport expects more than a 20 percent increase in flights over last summer.
Ride the free gondola (right) between Telluride and Mountain Village. It was put into service in November 1996 and therefore just celebrated its 10th winter of operating both as a ski lift and as wonderful local transportation. It closed on April 8 when the ski season ended and reopens on May 24 for the summer season. It is handicap-accessible, and some cabins have been designated for dogs as well as their humans.

Drive Trail Ridge Road all the way through Rocky Mountain National Park between Estes Park and Grand Lake. Road workers always try to get this road, the nation's highest continuous paved route, open for Memorial Day, but heavy late-season storms are making it less likely.

European Air and Road Congestion Makes the Case for Trains

2008-01-28T03:09:00.002-08:00

For a more relaxed, more satisfying European trip, take the train.

When I began going to Europe shortly Noah got off the Ark, Europeans traveled by train. So did legions of Eurailpass-equipped American students. To Europeans, flying from one country to another seemed prohibitively expensive. Autobahn, autoroute, autostrada and other freeway construction was ongoing and networks were incomplete, and while there were not yet high-speed trains rail travel, which was already in steep decline in the US, was frequent and reliable.

Now, along with the adoption of American junk-food chains, more and more Europeans have acquired our plane-addiction and our auto-addiction. Traffic is appalling around major cities and to popular weekend and holiday destinations such as the Mediterranean beaches in summer and the Alpine region in winter. And, as Elizabeth Rosenthal noted in a piece called "Congestion and Other Terminal Illnesses" in the New York Times, "While passenger numbers have skyrocketed in the last decade, airports have expanded in a makeshift fashion, leaving travelers to hike longer distances...Add to the fact that air traffic and security procedures have grown exponentially, and bad airport experiences seem to far outnumber the good."

She related her own experience, stuck on the tarmac for an hour after landing in Rome, recalling, "After the 50-minute flight, we waited an hour to get off the plane and would wait another hour standing around a dirty carousel before receiving our luggage." Let's do the math: However long it took to reach her departure airport from wherever she was and then one hour clearing security and to board the plane. Her 50-minute flight was followed by that hour on the tarmac before deplaning and another hour waiting for luggage to arrive. Then, she still had to get from the airport to wherever she was going. Even without the travel time to and from two airports, she was en route for four unpleasant hours. If her plane's departure had been delayed, her journey would have taken even longer.

Rosenthal's interviews with other frequent travelers about airports they particularly detest are enlightening, and so is her reference to Skytrax, which reviews and ranks airports and airlines. In this evaluation system that is still under development, world airports are rated from five to one star (plus unranked). Here are the top 15, only three of which are in Europe:

5 Star Airports

Hong Kong International
Seoul Incheon
Singapore Changi Airport

4 Star Airports

Amsterdam Schiphol
KLIA Kuala Lumpur
Sydney
Zurich

3 Star Airports

Abu Dhabi Int'l Airport
Bahrain Int'l Airport
Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport
Doha International
Dubai International
Johannesburg Int'l Airport
Kuwait Int'l Airport
Madrid Barajas

Bottom line in my opinion is that it is stilk better to take

Winter Getaway to Vienna

2008-01-28T03:07:00.000-08:00

Prices from New York start at $599 for a few days in Austria's lively capital -- including air.

Austrian Airlines is offering an economical package of roundtrip air between New York's JFK Airport to Vienna (VIE) and three nights in the Hotel Albatross (including breakfast) starting at $599 per person from New York. The price includes fuel surcharges (I suppose it isn't really a surcharge since it is included), but airport taxes and other fees are additional). You need to add $80 from Washington's Dulles International Airport (IAD) or Chicago's O'Hare (ORD).

This package is available Febrary 7-28, so the airline is promoting it as a Vienna Valentine. Still, there's a single supplement of $110 quoted. Some Valentine! Extra nights are, of course, available. The three-star Hotel Albatross is a 10-minute subway ride from the city center and not far from the airport either. For details or to book, call 800-790-4682.

If you are an opera buff, this is the time of year to enjoy the Vienna State Opera -- and if you've never been, this is a perfect opera house to set the standard for you. Last-minute tickets are available at the "standard price" of € 30, offered on the day before the performance at the ticket office between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on weekends and until 12:00 noon on weekdays and holidays. You can also get them by phone (+43 1) 51444/2950. If you can't stand the thought of opera, can't afford to go or just want something else, know that winter is high culture season in Vienna and other European cities.

In Paise of Swiss Fly/Rail Convenience

2008-01-28T03:04:00.000-08:00

The ease of luggage-free intermodal travel in efficient Switzerland.

Swiss International Air Lines wins my heart with its Fly/Rail program. When you check for any SWISS flight, you can check your bags through to any Swiss railway or bus station or even have them delivered directly to your hotel. Having already flown from Denver to Los Angeles for my SWISS flight to Zurich, I was happy that I wouldn't need to deal with my big, heavy rolling duffle and my ski bag on two trains and one Post bus to Adelboden. In fact, I checked my luggage all the way through to my hotel. The cost was just $8 per bag.

Nothing like that exists in the US or elsewhere, but stay with me and imagine a ski trip to Aspen from from anywhere in the world. Imagine flying to Denver, getting on a train directly in the terminal, changing trains say, in Eagle (that's not Amtrak's route, but we're imagining here) and changing to a bus in Glenwood Springs for Aspen (we're still imagining, so we're pretending here's no airport in Aspen). Now, imagine that you haven't touched your luggage the entire way. And, now, when you're ready to go back home, you can have your bags picked up at your hotel or check them in at the bus station in Aspen, and you won't see them until you reach your final airport. Every connection will be seamless, because 10 minutes been trains or between the train and the bus in Switzerland is ample time.

The other thing that you need to imagine is that those bags won't get lost. I expected that when I arrived in the resort town of Adelboden at around 6:00 p.m., my bags would be on the same bus. What I didn't know is that there is a cut-off time for arrival in Zurich (ZRH) or Geneva (GVA) in order for bags to make it to small mountain towns the same day. I know that mine weren't lost. I just didn't know that in order for that to happen with Adelboden, the SWISS flight needs to have landed before noon. Otherwise, the bags arrive the next day -- and they did.

I enthusiastically recommend Fly/Rail, but if you use the service, check with tourist office of you destination to see what the cut-off time is if you need your luggage the day you arrive. I would expect every SWISS station to have this information at hand. If your flight arrival time doesn't make the cut-off for that particular resort, take what you need in a carry-on -- being sure to put liquids and gels (no larger than 3 ounces) in a one-quart plastic zip bag, as the Transportation Security Agency's rules require.

Swiss International Air Lines is more cosmopolitan than its predecessor --but just as efficient.

Until the demise of Swissair in October 2001 (having nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks but with terrible financial decisions and surprising accusations of malfeasance by the former airline's management), everything about the national airline of Switzerland was and felt 100 percent Swiss. Its successor, Swiss International Air Lines (which calls itself SWISS in literature and on the aircraft fuselage) is less Swiss and more international.

In the Economy section of the Los Angeles-Zurich flight, I was surprised that the splits of wine were not Fendant and Dole but rather a nameless Australian blend bottled for SWISS, and that the packaged cheese was Tillamook, the butter was Land o' Lakes, the packet of salad dressing was Heinz and the dessert was a brownie from Love & Quiches of Long Island -- of all places. This in the airline of a country known for its cheeses and chocolates. There was a time when only Swiss products were served aboard the national airline of Switzerland, regardless of where the flight originated.

But then, today's SWISS is not 100 percent Swiss. It is part of Germany's Lufthansa Group. But it remains a bastion of Swiss efficiency. The flight not only left LAX on time but actually arrived in ZRH almost an hour ahead of schedule. Perhaps the German and Swiss combination demonstrates the new airline math: punctual + punctual = early. OK. So it was the tailwind -- but it was still pretty impressive!

Elliott on Finding Cheap Air Fares
Where to get the cheapest air fares -- and why price is not always the only reason to book.

Christopher Elliott, in his debut as a podcaster using the (small) screen name of The Armchair Traveler, provided three suggestions for getting the very lowest air fares. You can see his podcast for a bit more info (and check his website for a steady stream of consumer-oriented travel information), but here are his three favorite online sources for the best air deals:

Kayak, an aggregator that assembles info from other sites
Expert Flyer, a subscription service that compares all possible air fares for a specific routing. This service offers a five-day free trial in case you want to check it out.
Airlines' own websites, specifically citing Southwest Airlines
Sometimes, of course, cheap is not the only criterion. I checked airlines' own websites when I recently booked flights between Denver and Los Angeles to connect with a Swiss flight. Only the two airlines that hub in Denver made any kind of sense. Frontier had the cheapest roundtrip fare ($209), but outbound, I would have had to endure a seven-hour layover at LAX -- on top of reaching DIA, waiting for my domestic flight at DIA, flying to LAX, making my way through LAX, a long overnight flight on Swiss International Airlines (albeit anticipating a good night's sleep on the plane), going through light-touch Swiss immigration/customs procedures, waiting for a train and taking three trains to reach a small Swiss resort. Needless to say, I didn't book that itinerary.

United had convenient connection on the way out and not excessively expensive ($289 reoundtrip) considering that it spared me that killer LAX layover, but the my return, I would have arrived at LAX too late for the last non-stop to Denver. I would have had to fly between LAX and Denver via San Francisco or spend a night in Los Angeles and come home the next morning. I ended up booking two one-way fares -- $269 DEN-LAX on United and $109 on Frontier (LAX-DEN). Was it the cheapest? Not at all, but it is the only combo that made sense in other respects. Sometimes, a traveler's gotta do what a traveler's gotta do -- even if it is a little more expensive.

Kelantan - The contrary in reality

2008-01-28T03:02:00.000-08:00

By LEONG SIOK HUI

With its contentious rulings, the Islamic state of Kelantan receives plenty of flak from the media. But what is life really like there?

The fragrant aroma of ayam percik wafted through the air as my friend, Kuen, and I strolled around Medan Selera Buluh Kubu, an open-air eating square smack in the middle of Kota Baru.

The huge array of Kelantanese delicacies on sale was mind-boggling – nasi kerabu, laksam, satar (fish paste wrapped in banana leaves) and mouth-watering kuih (local cakes). After some frenzied buys, we ordered some drinks and chowed down at one of the food stalls.

Suddenly, a guy armed with a loud hailer strode into the food centre and announced in Malay: “Please leave the area immediately. Muslims have to perform their prayers.”

We later found out that during Maghrib (evening prayer), all Muslims are supposed to be praying, hence no business transaction can take place.

Some hawkers covered their food with plastic sheets and walked towards the mosque while a few ladies just hung around their stalls.

We wrapped up our half-eaten food, scurried out of the square and waited for the place to re-open 30 minutes later.

As a couple of unsuspecting tourists strolled into the now-deserted Medan, the loud hailer guy yelled: “Please get out! This place is closed!”

Kelantan, with its capricious PAS (Parti Islam Se-Malaysia) government, is notorious for initiating controversial rulings since the party took over the state 17 years ago.

Entertainment spots like bars, dance clubs and karaoke joints and concerts, gambling and alcohol are banned. Even traditional performing arts like wayang kulit and mak yong are deemed un-Islamic.

Female retail and restaurant workers have to follow strict dress codes – the headscarf is mandatory for Muslims and cleavage and navel-baring clothing is a no-no for non-Muslims, too.

At supermarkets, men and women use separate checkout counters, and cinemas have a lights-on ruling to prevent “unsavoury” activities between the sexes.

In reality

But over three visits to Kelantan in the last six months, this writer found a few surprises.

The Medan Selera incident was an eye-opener but it was an isolated case. Other restaurants and eating places around Kota Baru don’t suspend their business during Maghrib.

Non-Muslims can still drink beer at hotel bars or Chinese coffee shops and restaurants. And if you really need to dance the night away or sing your heart out at a karaoke joint, you can head to Sg Golok, a 20-minute drive from Kota Baru across the Thai border.

Supermarkets still have separate checkout counters but we do see men standing at the “women-only” counters so there’s no enforcement. All cinemas are closed (a common phenomenon in small towns since the proliferation of pirated DVDs and VCDs), hence the lights-on ruling doesn’t apply anymore.

As for dress codes, we did see some female stall owners wearing fitting jeans and a few without the tudung (headscarf). Outside of the workplace, Muslim women can choose not to wear a headscarf. At the Grand River View Hotel where I stayed, some Chinese ladies attending a wedding banquet were clad in sexy, short dresses and stiletto heels.

PAS has also “relaxed” the ban on some of the traditional performing arts like wayang kulit (shadow puppet play). Visitors and locals alike can catch performances at Kota Baru’s Gelanggang Seni (Cultural Centre) though the stories have to be based on real-life than the Hindu epics.

Chinese tok dalang (master puppeteer) like Eyo Hock Seng of the Pasir Mas district, are exempted from the rule and still play to jam-packed crowds of Chinese and Malay people during kenduri (feasts) and Chinese celebrations.

Last year, the state lifted a 16-year ban on pop concerts by inviting celebrities like Mawi, M.Nasir and Aishah to perform to sell-out crowds. Aishah and four other female performers regaled 3,000 fans at a female-only concert while Mawi and his gang sent the 15,000 concert-goers into a frenzy, never mind that male and female audiences had to be segregated while families sat together.

‘Bangsa Malaysia’ ?

Where else in Malaysia can you find Malays and Chinese mingling in Chinese coffee shops?

At the White House kopitiam next to Istana Jahar, Malay and Chinese patrons sip thick Hainanese coffee, enjoy kaya and butter on toast, and tuck into nasi berlauk and nasi dagang for breakfast. At a popular Malay restaurant below the Craft Museum, we saw Malay and Chinese locals relishing their nasi ulam budu (rice with raw vegetables and fermented anchovy sauce).

The Chinese in Kelantan are a unique breed. Though they only make up about 4% of the 1.2 million population, they are well integrated with their Malay neighbours. In the rural areas especially, it’s common to find Chinese villages tucked amid Malay kampung. The Chinese speak fluent Kelantanese and a distinctive Hokkien dialect, sprinkled with Malay and Thai words.

Like their Malay neighbours, the Chinese love traditional Malay pastimes like kite-flying, top-spinning, dikir barat and wayang kulit. The older generation of Chinese and Malays, especially, forge life-long friendships. And when they are out of the state or the country, they proudly identify themselves as Kelantanese.

On the last night of our stay, as we drove from Pantai Cahaya Bulan back to Kota Baru, we passed Kampung Cina. Families and kids dressed in their finery strolled into a Chinese temple adorned with strings of red lanterns.

It was the night before Chap Goh Meh, the 15th day of the Chinese Lunar New Year, and the 227-year-old Tokong Mek was hosting a two-night festivity.

Worshippers lit joss-ticks, prayed to the Gods and savoured free vegetarian fare served by temple volunteers. Festival-goers checked out the stalls peddling Chinese cakes and goodies outside the temple.

Across from the temple in a community hall, four female dancers clad in mini dresses and knee-high boots entertained the crowd with upbeat Chinese New Year songs sung in Hokkien.

Long chastised by friends as the most “un-Chinese” person they know, I don’t pray and would never think of setting foot in a Chinese temple during festive occasions.

But in Kelantan – of all places – Kuen and I joined in the revelry. We were reminded of a proud tradition that has made us who we are today.

The Palio of Siena on July 2, 2007

2008-01-28T03:01:00.001-08:00

The incredible race that even after 900 years does not seem to have lost any excitement and still gives strong emotions to any specator, first-timer or Siena native, it does not matter. The Palio of Siena of July 2, 2007 has been a continued sequence of spectacular events. Jokeys to the ground, horses running counterways, and an unforgettable head to head finish feat that brought havok in Siena.
Do Enjoy it, the Palio of Siena of July 2, 2007, here it is for you!

Christmas in Tuscany

2008-01-28T02:53:00.001-08:00

Coming to Tuscany during the sunny season is for sure an experience to try and repeat. Here a little advice. You can discover Tuscany during the winter holiday season and get stunned by how romantic it can be to be wrapped in this atmosphere and spend a fabulous holiday with your loved ones.
The beauty of Christmas and New Year in Tuscany lays on the way streets in cities are dressed up, the way windows are adorned, the way people smile. In the countryside you will find that an evening dark sky that promises nothing but snow contrasts with the homelike feeling of snuggling up in front of a warm fireplace, and that is a wonderful feeling.
We have already rented a villa in Tuscany during the holiday season twice so far, and that is why I am telling you it is a wonderful experience. The first time when we arrived at the villa we found that the owners had gifted us with a Christmas tree, all adorned and lighten up, the fireplace was crackling nicely, and we immediately felt like we owned this villa and it had been our home for some time!

Having dinners around the table while outside it occasionally snowed (it is rare for snow to fall in Tuscany, and when it does it lasts a couple of days), enjoying nice discussions on the comfortable sofas, and coming home from a lovely daytour in Florence or San Gimignano to prepare our favourite dishes filled us with a sensation of relaxation and peace that is hard to find enywhere else.
Here below is a short version of the Cristmas Eve's dinner at our friens' house. The gravy on the mashed potatoes could not be missing! Lovely! We will be in Tuscany again this year, let us know if you wish to have a hint on how to choose the right place! And even though it might be too soon...Merry Christmas!

Lusaka International Airport (LUN)

2008-01-17T04:45:00.001-08:00

Location: The airport is situated 16 miles (27km) east of Lusaka. Time: GMT+2. Contacts: Tel: +260 (0)1 271 044, (0)1 271 313. Transfer to the city: There is an airport bus service, and taxis are available. Car rental: Most major car hire companies are represented at the airport terminal. Cars are usually hired with a chauffeur. Facilities: The airport has a bank with bureau de change, a post office, restaurant, bar, duty-free shop, chemist, newsagent and a VIP lounge. A tourist help desk and travel agent can also be found in the airport terminal building, as well as a business centre. Parking: Departure tax: A tax of US$25 (cash only) is levied on departing international travellers and US$8 for departing domestic travellers.

Website: www.lun.aero/DEFS_pages_airport.php?pageid=LUSAKA

Zambia Health Overview

2008-01-17T04:37:00.000-08:00

Polio, typhoid, rabies and Hepatitis A vaccinations are recommended. Malaria is endemic in Zambia (prophylaxis is essential), and outbreaks of cholera and dysentery are common especially during the rainy season. Visitors to game parks are at risk of African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness), which is carried by tsetse flies; insect repellent is ineffective against tsetse flies. The country also has one of the highest rates of HIV/Aids infection worldwide. Avoid swimming or wading in bodies of fresh water, such as lakes, ponds, streams, or rivers due to the presence of bilharzia. Medical facilities in the country are under-developed and limited to the point that basic drugs and even clean needles are often not available. The small clinics in Lusaka are regarded as superior to the general hospitals, but clinics in rural areas are rarely stocked with anything more than aspirin or plasters. Full travel insurance, including cover for medical evacuation by air, is therefore essential and it is vital to bring a good first aid kit. Avoid food bought from local street vendors and ensure drinking water is filtered and boiled, or bought in sealed, branded bottles.

African Sleeping Sickness

Cause: Protozoan parasites Trypanosoma brucei (T. b.) gambiense and T. b. rhodesiense. Transmission: Infection with African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) occurs through the bite of infected tsetse flies. Humans are the main reservoir host for T. b. gambiense. Domestic cattle and wild animals, including antelopes, are the main animal reservoir of T. b. rhodesiense. Nature of the disease: T. b. gambiense causes a chronic illness with onset of symptoms after a prolonged incubation period of weeks or months. T. b. rhodesiense causes a more acute illness, with onset a few days or weeks after the infected bite; often, there is a striking inoculation chancre. Initial clinical signs include severe headache, insomnia, enlarged lymph nodes, anaemia and rash. In the late stage of the disease, there is progressive loss of weight and involvement of the central nervous system. Without treatment, the disease is invariably fatal. Geographical distribution: T. b. gambiense is present in foci in the tropical countries of western and central Africa. T. b. rhodesiense occurs in east Africa, extending south as far as Botswana. Risk for travellers: Travellers are at risk of African sleeping sickness in endemic regions if they visit rural areas for hunting, fishing, safari trips, sailing or other activities in remote areas. Prophylaxis (protective treatment): None. Precautions: Travellers should be aware of the risk in endemic areas and as far as possible avoid any contact with tsetse flies. However, bites are difficult to avoid because tsetse flies can bite through clothing. Travellers should be warned that tsetse flies bite during the day and are not repelled by available insect-repellent products. The bite is painful, which helps to identify its origin, and travellers should seek medical attention promptly if symptoms develop subsequently. Source: WHO.

Schistosomiasis (bilharzia)

Cause: Several species of parasitic blood flukes (trematodes), of which the most important are Schistosoma mansoni, S. japonicum and S. haematobium. Transmission: Infection with bilharzia occurs in fresh water containing larval forms (cercariae) of schistosomes, which develop in snails. The free-swimming larvae penetrate the skin of individuals swimming or wading in water. Snails become infected as a result of excretion of eggs in human urine or faeces. Nature of the disease: Chronic conditions in which adult flukes live for many years in the veins (mesenteric or vesical) of the host where they produce eggs, which cause damage to the organs in which they are deposited. The symptoms of bilharzias depend on the main target organs affected by the different species, with S. mansoni and S. japonicum causing hepatic and intestinal signs and S. haematobium causing urinary dysfunction. The larvae of some schistosomes of birds and other animals may penetrate human skin and cause a self-limiting dermatitis, "swimmers itch". These larvae are unable to develop in humans. Geographical distribution: S. mansoni occurs in many countries of sub-Saharan Africa, in the Arabian peninsula, and in Brazil, Suriname and Venezuela. S. japonicum is found in China, in parts of Indonesia, and in the Philippines (but no longer in Japan). S. haematobium is present in sub-Saharan Africa and in eastern Mediterranean areas. Risk for travellers: In endemic areas, travellers are at risk to bilharzias while swimming or wading in fresh water. Prophylaxis (protective treatment): None. Precautions: Avoid direct contact (swimming or wading) with potentially contaminated fresh water in endemic areas. In case of accidental exposure, dry the skin vigorously to reduce penetration by cercariae. Avoid drinking, washing, or washing clothing in water that may contain cercariae. Water can be treated to remove or inactivate cercariae by paper filtering or use of iodine or chlorine. Source: WHO.

Rabies

Cause: The rabies virus, a rhabdovirus of the genus Lyssavirus. Transmission: Rabies is a zoonotic disease affecting a wide range of domestic and wild animals, including bats. Infection of humans usually occurs through the bite of an infected animal. The virus is present in the saliva. Any other contact involving penetration of the skin occurring in an area where rabies is present should be treated with caution. In developing countries transmission is usually from dogs. Person-to-person transmission has not been documented. Nature of the disease: An acute viral encephalomyelitis, which is almost invariably fatal. The initial signs include a sense of apprehension, headache, fever, malaise and sensory changes around the site of the animal bite. Excitability, hallucinations and aerophobia are common, followed in some cases by fear of water (hydrophobia) due to spasms of the swallowing muscles, progressing to delirium, convulsions and death a few days after onset. A less common form, paralytic rabies, is characterized by loss of sensation, weakness, pain and paralysis. Geographical distribution: Rabies is present in animals in many countries worldwide. Most cases of human infection occur in developing countries. Risk for travellers: In rabies-endemic areas, travellers may be at risk if there is contact with both wild and domestic animals, including dogs and cats. Prophylaxis (protective treatment): Vaccination for travellers with a foreseeable significant risk of exposure to rabies or travelling to a hyperendemic area where modern rabies vaccine may not be available. Precautions: Avoid contact with wild animals and stray domestic animals, particularly dogs and cats, in rabies-endemic areas. If bitten by an animal that is potentially infected with rabies, or after other suspect contact, immediately clean the wound thoroughly with disinfectant or with soap or detergent and water. Medical assistance should be sought immediately. The vaccination status of the animal involved should not be a criterion for withholding post-exposure treatment, unless the vaccination has been thoroughly documented and vaccine of known potency has been used. In the case of domestic animals, the suspect animal should be kept under observation for a period of 10 days. Rabies post-exposure treatment: In a rabies-endemic area, the circumstances of an animal bite, other contact with the animal, and the animal's behaviour and appearance may suggest that it is rabid. In such situations, medical advice should be obtained immediately. Post-exposure treatment to prevent the establishment of rabies infection involves first-aid treatment of the wound followed by administration of rabies vaccine and antirabies immunoglobulin in the case of a bite or exchange of saliva. The administration of vaccine, and immunoglobulin if required, must be carried out, or directly supervised, by a physician. Source: WHO.

Typhoid fever

Cause: Salmonella typhi, the typhoid bacillus, which infects only humans. Similar paratyphoid and enteric fevers are caused by other species of Salmonella, which infect domestic animals as well as humans. Transmission: Infection with typhoid fever is transmitted by consumption of contaminated food or water. Occasionally direct faecal-oral transmission may occur. Shellfish taken from sewage-polluted beds are an important source of infection. Infection occurs through eating fruit and vegetables fertilized by night soil and eaten raw, and milk and milk products that have been contaminated by those in contact with them. Flies may transfer infection to foods, resulting in contamination that may be sufficient to cause human infection. Pollution of water sources may produce epidemics of typhoid fever, when large numbers of people use the same source of drinking water. Nature of the disease: Typhoid fever is a systemic disease of varying severity. Severe cases are characterized by gradual onset of fever, headache, malaise, anorexia and insomnia. Constipation is more common than diarrhoea in adults and older children. Without treatment, the disease progresses with sustained fever, bradycardia, hepatosplenomegaly, abdominal symptoms and, in some cases, pneumonia. In white-skinned patients, pink spots (papules), which fade on pressure, appear on the skin of the trunk in up to 50% of cases. In the third week, untreated cases develop additional gastrointestinal and other complications, which may prove fatal. Around 2-5% of those who contract typhoid fever become chronic carriers, as bacteria persist in the biliary tract after symptoms have resolved. Geographical distribution: Worldwide. The disease occurs most commonly in association with poor standards of hygiene in food preparation and handling and where sanitary disposal of sewage is lacking. Risk for travellers: Generally low risk for travellers, except in parts of north and west Africa, in south Asia and in Peru. Elsewhere, travellers are usually at risk only when exposed to low standards of hygiene with respect to food handling, control of drinking water quality, and sewage disposal. Prophylaxis (protective treatment): Vaccination. Precautions: Observe all precautions against exposure to foodborne and waterborne infections. Source: WHO.

Malaria

General considerations: Malaria is a common and life-threatening disease in many tropical and subtropical areas. It is currently endemic in over 100 countries, which are visited by more than 125 million international travellers every year. Each year many international travellers fall ill with malaria while visiting countries where the disease is endemic, and well over 10,000 fall ill after returning home. Fever occurring in a traveller within three months of leaving a malaria-endemic area is a medical emergency and should be investigated urgently. Cause: Human malaria is caused by four different species of the protozoan parasite Plasmodium: Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale and P. malariae. Transmission: The malaria parasite is transmitted by various species of Anopheles mosquitoes, which bite mainly between sunset and sunrise. Nature of the disease: Malaria is an acute febrile illness with an incubation period of 7 days or longer. Thus, a febrile illness developing less than one week after the first possible exposure is not malaria. The most severe form is caused by P. falciparum, in which variable clinical features include fever, chills, headache, muscular aching and weakness, vomiting, cough, diarrhoea and abdominal pain; other symptoms related to organ failure may supervene, such as: acute renal failure, generalized convulsions, circulatory collapse, followed by coma and death. It is estimated that about 1% of patients with P. falciparum infection die of the disease. The initial symptoms, which may be mild, may not be easy to recognize as being due to malaria. It is important that the possibility of falciparum malaria is considered in all cases of unexplained fever starting at any time between the seventh day of first possible exposure to malaria and three months (or, rarely, later) after the last possible exposure, and any individual who experiences a fever in this interval should immediately seek diagnosis and effective treatment. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment can be life-saving. Falciparum malaria may be fatal if treatment is delayed beyond 24 hours. A blood sample should be examined for malaria parasites. If no parasites are found in the first blood film but symptoms persist, a series of blood samples should be taken and examined at 6-12-hour intervals. Pregnant women, young children and elderly travellers are particularly at risk. Malaria in pregnant travellers increases the risk of maternal death, miscarriage, stillbirth and neonatal death. The forms of malaria caused by other Plasmodium species are less severe and rarely life-threatening. Prevention and treatment of falciparum malaria are becoming more difficult because P. falciparum is increasingly resistant to various antimalarial drugs. Of the other malaria species, drug resistance has to date been reported for P. vivax, mainly from Indonesia (Irian Jaya) and Papua New Guinea, with more sporadic cases reported from Guyana. P. vivax with declining sensitivity has been reported for Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, India, Myanmar, the Republic of Korea, and Thailand. P. malariae resistant to chloroquine has been reported from Indonesia. Geographical distribution: The risk for travellers of contracting malaria is highly variable from country to country and even between areas in a country. In many endemic countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and the Mediterranean region, the main urban areas, but not necessarily the outskirts of towns, are free of malaria transmission. However, malaria can occur in main urban areas in Africa and India. There is usually less risk of the disease at altitudes above 1,500 metres, but in favourable climatic conditions it can occur at altitudes up to almost 3,000 metres. The risk of infection may also vary according to the season, being highest at the end of the rainy season. There is no risk of malaria in many tourist destinations in South-East Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. Source: WHO.

HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases

The most important sexually transmitted diseases and infectious agents are HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B, syphilis, gonorrhoea, chlamydia infections, trichomoniasis, chancroid, genital herpes and genital warts. Transmission: Infection occurs during unprotected sexual intercourse. Hepatitis B, HIV and syphilis may also be transmitted in contaminated blood and blood products, by contaminated syringes and needles used for injection, and potentially by unsterilized instruments used for acupuncture, piercing and tattooing. Nature of the diseases: Most of the clinical manifestations are included in the following syndromes: genital ulcer, pelvic inflammatory disease, urethral discharge and vaginal discharge. However, many infections are asymptomatic. Sexually transmitted infections are a major cause of acute illness, infertility, long-term disability and death, with severe medical and psychological consequences for millions of men, women and children. Apart from being serious diseases in their own right, sexually transmitted infections increase the risk of HIV infection. The presence of an untreated disease (ulcerative or non-ulcerative) can increase by a factor of up to 10 the risk of becoming infected with HIV and transmitting the infection. On the other hand, early diagnosis and improved management of other sexually transmitted infections can reduce the incidence of HIV infection by up to 40%. Prevention and treatment of all sexually transmitted infections are therefore important for the prevention of HIV infection. Geographical distribution: Worldwide. Sexually transmitted infections have been known since ancient times; they remain a major public health problem, which was compounded by the appearance of HIV/AIDS around 1980. An estimated 340 million episodes of curable sexually transmitted infections (chlamydial infections, gonorrhoea, syphilis, trichomoniasis) occur throughout the world every year. Viral infections, which are more difficult to treat, are also very common in many populations. Genital herpes is becoming a major cause of genital ulcer, and subtypes of the human papillomavirus are associated with cervical cancer. Risk for travellers: For some travellers there may be an increased risk of infection. Lack of information about risk and preventive measures and the fact that travel and tourism enhance the probability of having sex with casual partners increase the risk of exposure to sexually transmitted infections. In some developed countries, a large proportion of sexually transmitted infections now occur as a result of unprotected sexual intercourse during international travel. In addition to transmission through sexual intercourse (both heterosexual and homosexual-anal, vaginal or oral), most of these infections can be passed on from an infected mother to her unborn or newborn baby. Hepatitis B, HIV and syphilis are also transmitted through transfusion of contaminated blood or blood products and the use of contaminated needles. There is no risk of acquiring any sexually transmitted infection from casual day-to-day contact at home, at work or socially. People run no risk of infection when sharing any means of communal transport (e.g. aircraft, boat, bus, car, train) with infected individuals. There is no evidence that HIV or other sexually transmitted infections can be acquired from insect bites. Prophylaxis: There is a vaccination against hepatitis B. No prophylaxis is available for any of the other sexually transmitted diseases. Precautions: Male or female condoms, when properly used, have proved to be effective in preventing the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, and for reducing the risk of unwanted pregnancy. Latex rubber condoms are relatively inexpensive, are highly reliable and have virtually no side-effects. The transmission of HIV and other infections during sexual intercourse can be effectively prevented when high-quality condoms are used correctly and consistently. Studies on serodiscordant couples (only one of whom is HIV-positive) have shown that, with regular sexual intercourse over a period of two years, partners who consistently use condoms have a near-zero risk of HIV infection. A man should always use a condom during sexual intercourse, each time, from start to finish, and a woman should make sure that her partner uses one. A woman can also protect herself from sexually transmitted infections by using a female condom - essentially, a vaginal pouch, which is now commercially available in some countries. It is essential to avoid injecting drugs for non-medical purposes, and particularly to avoid any type of needle-sharing to reduce the risk of acquiring hepatitis, HIV, syphilis and other infections from contaminated needles and blood. Medical injections using unsterilized equipment are also a possible source of infection. If an injection is essential, the traveller should try to ensure that the needles and syringes come from a sterile package or have been sterilized properly by steam or boiling water for 20 minutes. Patients under medical care who require frequent injections, e.g. diabetics, should carry sufficient sterile needles and syringes for the duration of their trip and a doctor's authorization for their use. Unsterile dental and surgical instruments, needles used in acupuncture and tattooing, ear-piercing devices, and other skin-piercing instruments can likewise transmit infection and should be avoided. Treatment: Travellers with signs or symptoms of a sexually transmitted disease should cease all sexual activity and seek medical care immediately. The absence of symptoms does not guarantee absence of infection, and travellers exposed to unprotected sex should be tested for infection on returning home. HIV testing should always be voluntary and with counselling. The sexually transmitted infections caused by bacteria, e.g. chancroid, chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis, can be treated successfully, but there is no single antimicrobial that is effective against more than one or two of them. Moreover, throughout the world, many of these bacteria are showing increased resistance to penicillin and other antimicrobials. Treatment for sexually transmitted viral infections, e.g. hepatitis B, genital herpes and genital warts, is unsatisfactory due to lack of specific medication, and cure is difficult to achieve. The same is true of HIV infection, which in its late stage causes AIDS and is thought to be invariably fatal. Antiretroviral drugs cannot completely eradicate the HIV virus; treatment is expensive and complex and most countries have only a few centres that are able to provide it. Source: WHO.

Hepatitis A

Cause: Hepatitis A virus, a member of the picornavirus family. Transmission: The virus is acquired directly from infected persons by the faecal-oral route or by close contact, or by consumption of contaminated food or drinking water. There is no insect vector or animal reservoir (although some non-human primates are sometimes infected). Nature of the disease: An acute viral hepatitis with abrupt onset of fever, malaise, nausea and abdominal discomfort, followed by the development of jaundice a few days later. Infection in very young children is usually mild or asymptomatic (e.g. causes no symptoms); older children are at risk of symptomatic disease. The disease is more severe in adults, with illness lasting several weeks and recovery taking several months; case-fatality is greater than 2% for those over 40 years of age and 4% for those over 60. Geographical distribution: Worldwide, but most common where sanitary conditions are poor and the safety of drinking water is not well controlled. Risk for travellers: Non-immune travellers to developing countries are at significant risk of infection. The risk is particularly high for travellers exposed to poor conditions of hygiene, sanitation and drinking water control. Prophylaxis (protective treatment): Vaccination. Precautions: Travellers who are non-immune to hepatitis A (i.e. have never had the disease and have not been vaccinated) should take particular care to avoid potentially contaminated food and water. Source: WHO.

Cholera

Cause: Vibrio cholerae bacteria, serogroups O1 and O139. Transmission: Infection occurs through ingestion of food or water contaminated directly or indirectly by faeces or vomit of infected persons. Cholera affects only humans; there is no insect vector or animal reservoir host. Nature of the disease: An acute enteric (intestine) disease varying in severity. Most infections are asymptomatic (i.e. do not cause any illness). In mild cases, diarrhoea occurs without other symptoms. In severe cases, there is sudden onset of profuse watery diarrhoea with nausea and vomiting and rapid development of dehydration. In severe untreated cases, death may occur within a few hours due to dehydration leading to circulatory collapse. Geographical distribution: Cholera occurs mainly in poor countries with inadequate sanitation and lack of clean drinking water and in war-torn countries where the infrastructure may have broken down. Many developing countries are affected, particularly those in Africa and Asia, and to a lesser extent those in central and south America. Risk for travellers: The risk of cholera is very low for most travellers, even in countries where cholera epidemics occur. Humanitarian relief workers in disaster areas and refugee camps are at risk.
Prophylaxis (protective treatment): Oral cholera vaccines for use by travellers and those in occupational risk groups are available in some countries. Precautions: As for other diarrhoeal diseases. All precautions should be taken to avoid consumption of potentially contaminated food, drink and drinking water. Oral rehydration salts should be carried to combat dehydration in case of severe diarrhoea. Source: WHO.

Zambia Travel Guide

2008-01-17T04:35:00.000-08:00

The big, beautiful country of Zambia is situated in the heart of the African sub-continent, untainted by commercial tourist development, but nevertheless well-equipped to allow visitors to experience the warmth, excitement, challenges and adventures of the real Africa.

Zambia beckons with an abundance of natural attractions and extreme sports, which has earned it the reputation of being the 'adventure centre' of the continent.

The country's prime attraction is the spectacular, breathtaking Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Not only do the falls provide unmatched scenery as the water plunges into the depths of the gorge, but they are also the setting for a multitude of adrenaline pumping activities, like whitewater rafting, bungee jumping from the 364ft (111m) high bridge, canoeing, abseiling, micro-lighting over the falls, elephant-back safaris, jet-boating through the rapids and many more.

If dry land is more to your taste, Zambia offers dozens of superb game parks stocked with a profusion of birds and wildlife. Chief among the parks is South Luangwa National Park, centred on the most intact major river system in Africa, which hosts a huge concentration of game. The legendary 'Zambian walking safari' originated in this park and still offers one of the finest ways to experience the African wilderness.

Visitors to Zambia seldom linger in the towns, being bent on safaris or destined for game lodges and adventure camps, but those who choose to explore the somewhat dishevelled capital, Lusaka, will find it has an interesting charm. More than half of the inhabitants of this over-populated city are unemployed, yet the atmosphere is far from despondent as the people hustle and bustle, determined to survive. Thousands of stalls line the streets offering a fascinating array of services and goods.

Lovers of the outdoors cannot fail to find everything and more to satisfy them in the wetlands and wilderness of Zambia.

Scotland, The Southwest

2008-01-07T07:36:00.000-08:00

"Tony and BJ meet Thomas the Train"

We wanted to go to Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany this year, since we still have never been. We thought this might be a good weekend for it, but apparently so did a lot of other people; the flights were booked pretty full. Our second choice was Shannon, but that would have been on an all coach configured aircraft, and for such a short trip, we felt like we needed the comfortable napping position that a business class seat would provide. Ultimately, we let flight availability decide where we would spend our weekend and it turned out to be Edinburgh. Tony had just returned from there with his harem, but he was willing to go again with me (Happy to go – TM).

We made preparations (which included picking up a couple of travel guides from the library and reserving a car) and packed our bags. A lot of extra thought went into packing our bags due to the new security restrictions. I replaced my roll-on deodorant with a solid/stick type and removed my toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner and hair gel from my toiletry kit. Tony took all of the liquids out of his shaving kit except his “contact lens” solutions.

At the first security checkpoint, they tested Tony's contact solutions, but that was the only item that was scrutinized. When we got to the gate, there was a line of TSA agents pawing through everyone's carry-on bags. Watching this process caused me much trepidation about the approach to these security concerns. It seems that the agents are concentrating so heavily on finding contraband toiletries that they could overlook a real threat.

We got great seats on the plane and enjoyed a glass of champagne as we settled in. One of the advantages to a late flight is that it is easier to get to sleep. In fact, I fell asleep almost before we left the ground and had to be waked up for the meal. Our flight attendant looked like my friend Gary Spencer and was just about as enthusiastic as I would expect Gary to be as a flight attendant. As I looked around the cabin, all of the other areas were chowing down on their entrees while we were still waiting for the Gary Look-alike to put down our placemats. I ordered the beef and Tony ordered the chicken, which was listed as "Celebrity Chef Michelle Bernstein's Original Entree." Michelle gets my vote! The chicken; braised in red wine with tomatoes, olives and capers; was delicious! We're still trying to follow the South Beach diet (loosely) so we turned down the ice cream sundae (Not easy to do! – TM). We watched the first part of the movie (American Dreamz) but both of us fell asleep before the end. It was a light-hearted amusing flick. Friday morning, the Gary Look-alike tiptoed around the cabin so as not to wake us as he was serving breakfast. (I don’t remember hearing “breakfasssssssst?” or “juicsssssssse?” this time! – TM)

After landing, we wandered around the airport to find an ATM. We each got £200 for the trip. The Thrifty courtesy car picked us up outside the terminal and took us to the Quality Inn where the Thrifty office was. The Thrifty agent processed our paperwork and walked us out to our cute little Hyundai Getz.
She gave us the “Enjoy Scotland” color coded map with tourist routes marked. Although we had no real plan, we had decided we’d explore the Southwest, so we set “Jill” and “Emmett” our two GPS’s up with the route (Ya’ gotta’ love the technology. We set one at “road level” and one at “city level” and had no trouble getting around. – TM). The weather was positively gorgeous, but we kept noticing some wispy bugs flying around that we later realized were not bugs at all, but thistle. At first, Tony had a little trouble getting used to the controls in the car and indicated his turns with the windshield wipers (In my defense, SOME right hand drive cars have left side turn signals/right side wipers, and SOME right hand drive cars have left side wipers/right side turn signals. Fortunately the pedals are “all American” – TM).

We made a brief stop at a General Store/Post Office to get Tony a Diet Coke.

We planned to make Galashiels our first stop, but as we drove through, we decided it was a little too big and elected to continue on to Selkirk. In Selkirk, we found a parking lot just outside the Halliwells House Museum which also happened to be the Tourist Information Agency. There were some interesting steps at the edge of the parking lot leading up to a cemetery.

We made a quick tour through the FREE museum.

Then we asked the lady at Tourist Information about where we could get a bowl of soup for lunch. She recommended the Jaggy Thistle Coffee House. Lunch was cream of asparagus soup and a roast beef, sweet onion and horseradish wrap.

After lunch, we stopped into a pharmacy to pick up the toiletries we had not been able to bring with us. On our way back to the car, we noticed Sir Walter Scott’s Courtroom, also FREE! So of course we went in to look around.

Back in the car, I looked in our guidebook for information on the upcoming cities on our route. Frommers describes Gretna Green as “quite simply, an embarrassment to native Scots”, so naturally we headed that way. The book went on to say, “What else can you say about a place that advertises ‘amusing joke weddings’. The community got its fame from being the closest place to the English border where people could come to take advantage of Scotland’s more lenient marriage laws. For those of us from Georgia, this would be the equivalent of Walhalla, South Carolina. At Gretna Green, we found several tourist shops, a couple of restaurants and a blacksmith shop museum where the local blacksmith used to perform weddings.

Continuing our Scottish penny-pinching ways, we opted to skip the £3 visit to the museum and wandered around the shops, and trying on tartans before stopping at one of the restaurants for an overpriced glass of wine and cup of coffee.

As we were leaving, we saw two wedding parties arriving.

Our first overnight stop of the trip would be in Dumphries.

The Tourist Information place was closed, so we just wandered around looking for a B&B. There was a neat walking street, but all of the shops were closed.

I noticed a bustling pub (The Cavens Arms) and stopped in to ask if they could recommend a B&B or small hotel.

After we settled in, we went down the street to the Waverly Hotel for a glass of wine. The weather was so nice, we sat outside, but as soon as the sun slipped behind the building it got really cold.
We decided to check out the restaurant at the Best Western, but it seemed a bit pricey. While we were there, we saw a newspaper with a picture of the man from the pub who had helped us find a B&B. His pub was listed as the best pub in town for 2006. We decided to go back there for dinner. It was an excellent choice and worth the wait. We shared an order of Lamb Curry and a Beef Goulash. (BJ really wanted to try haggis, a local specialty. It was on every menu; our hostess at Birkhill Hotel had ordered some from the butcher, to be delivered along with her other meat needs; and the father-mother-daughter famly unit we sat next to ordered and ate some. But fortunately, BJ never got the nerve to try it. After we got back, I googled “haggis recipe” and sent her a copy of the results. Don’t even think of googling it yourself unless you’ve got a very strong stomach – TM)

Saturday morning we had a lovely Scottish breakfast of scrambled eggs, fried eggs, bacon, sausage, tomato, whole wheat toast and cereal. We refused the hashbrowns and potato scones since they are not South Beach friendly.

It was another beautiful day. We stopped in New Abbey to see Sweetheart Abbey where the Lady of Galloway, Devorgilla is buried along with her husband’s heart which she had embalmed and carried with her from 1269 until 1290 when she died. We could see everything we wanted to see without paying admission.
We also opted to skip the expensive corn mill museum tour.

Driving through Kirkbean, we saw the John Paul Jones museum (and didn’t go in. It wasn’t free. - TM), and then on to Southerness.
Along the way, we passed a golf course advertising golf with an oval ball. http://www.solwaygolf.co.uk/golf_cross.asp At Southerness, we saw one of Scotland’s earliest lighthouses, built in 1749.

Driving along the coast we stopped for gas in Dalbeattie. Here we took a gander at Dundrennan Abbey just outside of Kirkudbright and then followed the signs to the wildlife park. We didn’t go in (again, not free – TM), but noted that it would be a good distraction if we were traveling with children.
We saw our own bit of wildlife (for free - TM) on the side of the road. These rabbits were HUGE!
Newton Stewart was a lovely little town on a river. We stopped to buy some cheese at the grocery store which we then ate for lunch along with a glass of wine at the Glencairn Hotel. Afterward, we walked along the river back to our car.

We chose Stranraer as our evening’s destination and hurried to get there before the Tourist Information Office closed. The lady behind the desk said that all of the hotels and B&B’s were full because of a lawn bowling tournament and a wedding. Trusting that our luck was better than that, we decided to see for ourselves and we wandered around town. We noticed that this town (like almost every other town in Scotland) had a High Street.

One hotel had a twin room with a shared bath and another B&B had a single room, but the rest of them were full. The lady at the Harbour Lights Guest House http://www.harbourlightsguesthouse.co.uk/ was so nice, she insisted that we come inside while she called around to find us a room. She was unsuccessful as well, so we finally decided to drive on towards Ayr. On our way out of town (about 4 miles out), we found the Rhins of Galloway B&B www.RhinsofGalloway.co.uk with a VACANCY sign outside! It was a lovely little place. Our room even had a little fake fireplace to add to the ambiance. The price was £50 for bed and breakfast.

We drove back into town and had dinner at The Waterline. I had the Chicken Tikka Masala and Tony had the Vegetable Nut Roast. The Vegetable Nut Roast is something I’d like to try to make. It had roasted peanuts, cous cous, onions, celery, cheddar cheese, carrots and hazelnuts and was drizzled with a white wine sauce.

While we were there, we met four ladies from Texas who had just gotten to town and were looking for a place to stay. The bartender was calling around looking for a place for them. We recommended our B&B but by then the bartender had found them a place. It was a good thing too, because when we got back to ours, the Rhins had posted a NO VACANCY sign.

Tonight, weak from our second day in the UK without a beer (South Beach), we enjoyed our (non-South Beach) cookies and brownies (We found them in the room… free – TM) by our fake fireplace before retiring to what turned out to be the most uncomfortable bed of the trip.

We have occasionally slept on a hammock-like mattress where we both rolled to the middle, but this was our first time to have the opposite. This mattress was elevated in the middle and provided no support at the edges, so we both had to hold on to keep from rolling off the sides. It is too bad too because aside from the bed, the place was just perfect. The bed is a deal-breaker though.

The traditional Scottish Breakfast (bacon, tomato, mushrooms, beans, eggs and toast) was served in a beautifully appointed dining room on interesting square china. We watched the rain drizzle outside as we ate. This was our first rainy day.

We continued our drive, stopping in Lanark at the Lanark Loch. We were going to have a picnic of wine and cheese, but even though the rain had stopped, it was still a bit too chilly for sitting outside.
We drove into town where we had our first (and only - TM) beer, a Tennants Lager at the Port Vaults and Vennel pub.

We decided to spend our last night in Bo’ness so we would be close to the Edinburgh airport for our trip home. When we got there, we discovered that Thomas the Train had beat us there and brought with him a number of tourists.
The girl at the Tourist Information desk thought we might have trouble finding a place to stay. She was right. We kept driving further and further away from the airport until we finally found the Antonine Hotel in Falkirk. By the time we found it, we would have been willing to pay almost anything for a room, so we were very pleased to find that the rate was £55 for bed and breakfast.

As we wandered around Falkirk looking for a place for dinner, we noticed yet another High Street sign.

There were several bars and restaurants, but very few of them were serving food on a Sunday night, so we finally settled on the Manor House Chinese restaurant across the street. We couldn’t really give it a resounding recommendation, but it was hot and filling.

The bed at the Antonine was VERY comfortable and we were ready for a good night’s sleep after the previous night.

The Scottish breakfast was served buffet style but was no less enjoyable that our other breakfasts.
When we got back to the airport, we discovered that the UK has much more restrictive carry-on requirements than the US. http://www.edinburgh-airport-guide.co.uk/security.html I had to check my roll-a-board since it would not fit in the UK equivalent of the Delta “size-wise” box. Tony was able to force his backpack into the size-wise
After one last full body search, we took our Business Class seats, and headed home; The DaVinci Code was the movie of choice.

Until next time…

Caribbean Cruise

2008-01-07T07:32:00.000-08:00

"The Turn of the Century"

Our traditional Thanksgiving plans were foiled this year. Most of the children we travel with have gone off to college, so we were faced with a dilemma. Dil-emma? Hey, what about Emma? Our niece Emma just happened to be out of school the entire week of Thanksgiving. We found a last minute deal on a cruise aboard the Celebrity Century and booked it! The tour group became larger as Emma wanted to bring an entourage (her parents and her grandmother), but what the heck?

Emma and her parents flew Air Tran to Fort Lauderdale. We decided to take the risk and fly stand-by (as we always do). The Miami flight left a little too late to keep us in our comfort zone, so we decided to fly to Fort Lauderdale on an earlier flight, arriving around the same time as the other Morrises. The Non-rev Gods were very good to us! After the gate agent verified that we were dressed appropriately, Tony and I were given first class seats, something that rarely happens these days. Tony's mom, Dorothy, travels on her late husband's retiree passes (a lower priority) so we were not surprised when she was seated in coach. We wanted to swap seats with her, but she insisted on sitting in her assigned seat. Shortly before take-off, she was paged and brought up to the last empty seat in first class!

We enjoyed the reconfigured SONG aircraft with its in-seat video games. We even won one round of the trivia contest despite the fact that neither of us are big trivia buffs. In Fort Lauderdale, we collected our bags and found the Air Tran Terminal where we hooked up with Emma and her parents, Tim and Barbie. They had decided to fly home on a buddy pass, but there had been an issue with the credit card so we had to find an agent to try to resolve it. It took about 45 minutes, but we think the agent finally got them listed on a flight. We're pretty sure there'll be some duplicate charges that will have to be resolved later. Tony decided to go ahead and get the rental car while Barbie and I resolved the ticket issue.

The ride to the Port of Miami was smooth, if a little crowded, with six of us in a full sized car, but it was the least expensive option and it was a short ride. Tony had gotten directions from one of the cruise agents to go to Terminal G for the Celebrity Century. Another agent told Tim to go to Terminal J. We rode around the port a couple of times and asked a policeman who finally gave us the correct information and directed us to Terminal 10.

Check In was almost a breeze. Emma and Dorothy got checked in without a problem. Tim and Barbie got checked in without a problem. Since Tony was not there yet, our agent Wayne (or Jack, depending on which nametag you read) explained that he could not check Tony in yet. Then Wayne/Jack swiped BJ's passport while he had Tony's reservation displayed. This changed the name on the reservation to BJ, resulting in two BJ's in the room. There was nothing Wayne/Jack could do to fix it and he couldn't find anyone else who could fix it either. Finally he resolved it by swiping the copy of Tony's passport that BJ had. Then he instructed us not to tell anyone that what he had done and to have Tony come to see him to get his boarding pass for the ship.

Tony, meanwhile, had returned the car to National, resolved a dispute about the gas, and caught the FREE Alamo shuttle back to the port. We called to tell him to go see Wayne/Jack and then boarded the ship. Except for the Wayne/Jack thing, this was the most relaxing stress free boarding of a cruise ship we had ever experienced. Onboard, we were greeted with a glass of champagne! We each went to our stateroom and agreed to meet back at the lunch buffet.

We were all very pleased with our rooms! They all had flat screen TVs, roomy bathrooms and big comfy beds.

BJ and Tony had splurged and gotten a balcony room in the Concierge Class which was about the same size as the other cabins with a small balcony. There was a bottle of champagne and a basket of fruit awaiting our arrival.

The lunch buffet was adequate although not particularly notable. Emma and Tim enjoyed the ice cream stand. Soon Tony made it back to the boat and joined us for lunch. After lunch and a little exploring, it was time for the lifeboat drill. Our muster station was in the theater. In a real emergency it would be interesting to see if people move as slowly as they do during the drill.

When we got back to our room after the drill, Martinz, our room steward, had left us a nice selection of canapés. We invited the rest of the group up to enjoy the canapés and champagne as we sailed away from Miami. Surprisingly there was enough room for all six of us to crowd onto the balcony.

Dinner in the main dining room was delightful. We had a lovely centrally located table at the bottom of the Grand Staircase.

We met our waiter, Handel from Jamaica and his lovely assistant Marcella from Romania.

The Assistant Maitre 'D who looked like Pee Wee Herman came by to introduce himself. Most of us enjoyed a selection from each of the categories. BJ went with the chef's recommendation of a mushroom pastry appetizer, roasted tomato soup, salad and Hake while Tony selected the prime rib.

Dessert for most of us was a most delicious Creme Brulee. Tony was tempted by the chocolate mousse with the almond crust, but it looked much better than it tasted.

Everyone was tired from the travel day so we made it an early night. Martinz, our cabin attendant had turned down our bed and left a chocolate on our pillow!
Sunday BJ woke up around a quarter to seven and headed for the health club. She was able to get on an elliptical machine, but by seven, all of the elliptical machines and treadmills were in use. The treadmills, elliptical machines and stationary bikes all had television screens! Back in the cabin after BJ's work out, she found Tony up and showered. BJ got cleaned up and we met the others in the Island Cafe for breakfast. The servers were very generous with the bacon!

Tim and BJ signed up for the afternoon Texas Hold-em Tournament, then Tim, Barbara, Emma, BJ and Dorothy went to the Culinary Demonstration by Executive Chef Thomas, Master Decorators, and Pastry Chef Stephan. A man whom we assumed to be a Sommelier with a very thick accent told us about the wine that was available on board. The audience was invited to taste the demonstration food and given their choice of a melon or apple martini (well, except for Emma).

We agreed to meet for lunch out by the pool, but the rain drove us inside. Tony was suffering withdrawal from Diet Coke deprivation so we purchased a soda package for him. It was reasonable ($5/day plus 15% gratuity) but a bit annoying in that he could only get his sodas in the souvenir cup.

Lunch was in the Island Cafe (buffet) again. We ate hurriedly so we could make it to the Texas Hold 'Em Tournament. Tim came in second, taking the prize of $150!

We celebrated at the Sherbet Parade and watched the Ice Carving demonstration out by the pool.

BJ, Barbie and Dorothy went to the Holiday Crafts demonstration by Elizabeth Sheeran from Boston. Elizabeth was teaching how to make "Beaudacious Bows".

BJ stopped back through the casino to try to win back her investment in the earlier tournament but only succeeded in losing another $10. The climate was nicer outside than it was in the casino so it was time for a little fresh air.

After exploring the ship, the family met in our room to enjoy the complimentary canapés and a glass of wine (well, except for Emma) before dinner. Tim told us an amusing story about running into the man who had described the wines to us at the earlier demonstration. The conversation went something like this: Tim: "Aren't you the Sommelier?" Answer - very thick accent, indignant: "No, I am the Selamasta!" Tim: "The Salamander?" Answer - very thick accent, very indignant: "No, I am the Cellar Master." The Cellar Master told Tim that he was in charge of all of the Sommeliers and all of the wine aboard the ship. We got a big kick out of pointing out the Salamander every time we saw him from then on.

It was formal night, so everyone was dressed in their finery for dinner. We descended the Grand Staircase to give everyone a chance to see our formal attire.

Everyone but Tony, the non-participator, attended the Captain's Gala Toast followed by the evening entertainment in the ship's theater. The dancers and singers were excellent. Dorothy and Emma went back to their cabin while BJ, Tim and Barbie made their way to the Cova Cafe to hear the A Cappella group, "The Cat's Pajamas". Then it was time for bed.

On Monday, BJ did her routine in the fitness club, then met the others for breakfast in the island cafe. Bacon, bacon, bacon! We watched the approach to Jamaica from our little balcony.

BJ and Emma went to the card room and put together a jigsaw puzzle while they listened to the announcements for the crew safety drill. Team Trivia was supposed to start at 11:00, but the crew safety drill was still in progress. The Morris team out-waited the competition and then sent Dorothy out in search of the Activity Staff. When he finally showed up, he organized a male Morrises against the female Morrises game. The males won, but we all got prizes!

We had decided on lunch in the main dining room, but it was closed since we were in port, so it was back up to the Island Cafe for another buffet lunch. We had an impromptu napkin folding demonstration by Marcos, one of the waiters.

It was raining, but the ship had supplied umbrellas so we decided to go ashore in Jamaica.

We stopped at the first bar we found and had a Red Stripe (except for Emma). We enjoyed watching the tourists bargaining for beads and other items on the beach.

A quick tour through the gift shop at the end of the dock and we were back on the ship in time for the afternoon Team Trivia game. This time we were not so lucky and we had competition. We got an embarrassing score of 10 our of 20. No prizes for us this time!

We played a little shuffleboard on the deck, being careful not to send any of the playing pieces overboard!

We met in our room for canapés and wine (except Emma) before dinner.

BJ had the tiny partially deboned baby chicken for dinner while Tony had the vegetable curry. Tiaramisu was among the dessert choices!

BJ, Barbie, Dorothy and Emma went to the Captain's Cocktail Party. They were a little confused when they were introduced to "The Marshall" but finally figured out that he was the Captain.
Complimentary cocktails were served to everyone (except Emma who had a coke). Barbie had what we think was a Manhattan, but tasted more like a fireball.

The captain proposed a toast and then introduced the three couples who had done the most traveling on Celebrity.
The first couple had been on 32 cruises. The second couple had been on 38 cruises. The third couple had been on an unbelievable 74 cruises! I expected them to be too large to fit on the dance floor but they were surprisingly thin and fit looking.

Showtime featured Jamaica's #1 Comedienne Matilda (who turned out to be a ventriloquist's dummy.
The opening act was Adage Duo David Lange and Ester who did amazing gymnastics.

The Newlywed/Not So Newlywed Show revealed WAY TOO MUCH INFORMATION! And based on one of the couples' answer to the "Strangest Place You've Ever Made Whoopee" question, I'd advise future guests aboard the Century against sitting in the third row of the theater. One of the contestants said that his favorite condiment is "Trojan".

It was a stormy night. The ship rocked violently all night. It would have been REALLY bad if we had had to abandon ship and get on one of those lifeboats! We were really surprised when we woke up in calm water of Grand Cayman.

Tuesday we met for breakfast (BACON, BACON, BACON) and discussed our plans for the day. Tim and Barbie had picked out an excursion to a hotel with a beach but the excursion staff said it was a rocky beach. We decided to either go to Cemetery Reef, a more deserted beach or Seven Mile Beach where there were more shops and amenities. We boarded the tender for shore and were disappointed to find that once we landed we were nowhere near George Town.
The Disney cruise next to us was giving its passengers a free shuttle ride into town but our cruise was not offering transportation. Tony and Dorothy took the next tender back to the ship. BJ, Barbie, Emma and Tim asked one of the tour operators about which beach would be preferable for snorkeling. She said the seas were too rough for snorkeling so if we went to a beach, it would just be to sit on the beach. We elected to take the $5 per person ride into town and do a little shopping. Del Sol was our favorite shop with items that change color in the sun.

We noted that the tour operator had been right. If we had tried to snorkel, we would have been beaten to death by the waves. They were crashing on the rocks so hard that they were sending spray across the street and onto the porches of the shops.

After a bit of wandering around, we stopped at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville for the $7.50 "Perfect Margarita" (except for Emma). They should have titled it "The $7.50 TINY Perfect Margarita". It was delicious though.

We enjoyed seeing the parrots and other animals around Margaritaville.

We rode the tender to the ship and were back in time for lunch.
We tried out the wrap buffet and the burger grill. Naptime by the pool was the next activity for BJ while the rest of the family dominated the "Name That Tune" contest and took home winning visors.
Catchphrase was the next activity. It was a lot like Password except the password was a common phrase. There were no prizes for this activity so we moved on to the next one which was "Fact or Fiction". The Morrises dominated once more and won luggage tags for the entire team.

We invited everyone to our room for an Anchors Up party with more of those pretty little canapés and wine (for everyone but Emma).

It was Lobster and Prime Rib night in the main dining room, followed by Baked Alaska on Parade!
Following dinner, Dorothy, Emma and BJ went to the "Dance Around the World Show" while Tim played in the Texas Hold 'Em tournament. He took third place, but it didn't come with a prize. Tonight BJ and Tony slept with the balcony door open to enjoy the sounds of the waves.

Wednesday, BJ hurried to the fitness club so she could get back to the cabin in time for the breakfast we had ordered to have sent to our room. By the time breakfast got there though, BJ had succumbed to the rocking of the ocean and didn't feel like eating. Tony polished off 2 servings of bacon, 2 servings of sausage, a bagel and hashbrowns.

BJ felt better in time for the Catchphrase activity where she and Dorothy and Emma won more ID holders. There was just enough time for a game of Scrabble before lunch. Tim and Barbie were the winning team. We decided to have lunch in the main dining room for a change. We learned that we prefer the buffet.

BJ won the first round of the blackjack tournament turning her (fake) $500 into (fake) $1900, but lost out in the final round where she only won one hand. Tim won another Texas Hold 'em tournament though, adding another (real) $175 to his winnings.

Since we were disappointed with the lunch choices in the main dining room, we stopped by the buffet for a second lunch with dessert.

We went to the Crystal Room to watch the Junior Cruisers Talent Show. There were some pianists, a vocal percussionist, some hula hoopers, and tongue tricks. We didn't see any decorating at the Family Cookie Decorating Activity, but there were cookies on the buffet, so we helped ourselves.

We met in our room for a glass of wine before dinner (except Emma) and then back down to the dining room for the final formal meal of the trip. Entertainment for the evening was Noodles Levinstein, a comedian. BJ wanted to stay up for the "Ship Kicking Good Time" they were going to have at the Country Music Dance, but she was too tired.

We spent another night with the door open so we could hear the sounds of the sea as we slept and awoke to the sounds of the luggage being unloaded in Miami. We met for one last bacon loading session before disembarking. We all commented on what an easy relaxing disembarkation process the ship had.

We found a taxi that could take all six of us back to the airport for $24 - a better deal than the $9 per person shuttle ride. Tim, Barbie and Emma stood by for the earlier flight to Atlanta and almost got on, but a few last minute standbys got on the list ahead of them. BJ, Tony and Dorothy decided to take the leisurely route and wait for the later flight. The Non-rev Gods were smiling on us again as all six of us were seated in first class for the ride home!

Wehrheim, Germany

2008-01-07T07:25:00.000-08:00

"Mail Call"

Our German daughter, Carina, is still receiving mail at our house so we had some magazines and packages that needed to be delivered to her in Germany. It was a perfect excuse for a trip so when we found ourselves with an available weekend, we headed for the airport!

We took our seats in the back section of business class along with the other 16 standby travelers. To the flight attendants credit, even though I am sure their manifest showed that we were all standbys, they treated us like royalty! A little turbulence just as we were being served almost resulted in the flight attendant (as well as our soup and salad) in our laps, but she recovered nicely and strapped herself in while we finished the first course. After a delicious meal followed by a lovely cheese and fruit plate (we're still loosely following the South Beach regime, so no ice cream sundae for us), we finished watching the movie, "Click" and drifted off to sleep with instructions to the flight attendant not to wake us for breakfast.

We awoke just in time to raise our seat backs and tray tables for landing. Arrival at the Frankfurt Airport is very different than in Atlanta. There is no herding toward passport control and we were free to wander about the concourse before leaving the area. We went straight to passport control though, to beat the crowd. The passport official did a double-take at the embroidered passport in my shirt pocket and pointed it out to his colleague.

Tony had received a renewal notice for his discount train card, so we thought we would pay for it while we were at the airport. We took the skylink over to Terminal 1, but were told that we could not pay by credit card or cash, we would need a bank note. The agent advised that it would be easier to cancel the card and then purchase a new one with a credit card.

We had reserved a car with Thrifty, but we really wanted to drive a SmartCar, so we stopped by the Sixt counter. Sixt had no smart cars available, so we started looking for the Thrifty counter. It was then that we discovered that Thrifty was off site and the only way to get in touch with them was via a courtesy phone that was well-hidden at the corner of a small information counter back in Terminal 2. The Thrifty bus picked us up 15-20 minutes later and took us to the Thrifty site about 20 minutes away. Check-in was relatively painless, but when they brought our car around, they discovered that one of the wheels was dented. We waited as they replaced it and then were on our way. Our car, a Renault Twingo, had a retractable canvas roof, but it was raining so we didn't try it out until the rain subsided.

Jill, our GPS, led us right to our daughter's apartment where we followed her directions from our "instant message" conversation about where to park and how to find the key.

"...you could park on our parking lot. Its the house on the corner, the parking lot is right into the field. Your apartment for the weekend (my apartment) is when you go from the parking lot right through the bushes where the window garden is the white door, or ... through the with garden door, the key is under the black candlehouse (?)"

Carina's apartment was simply delightful! A converted garage with a sun room, kitchen and living area downstairs and a bedroom bath and study loft upstairs. All very modern, and very German!

I have forever been challenged to use the phone in a foreign country. The tones befuddle me and if I should somehow get a phone call through, I usually cannot understand the person who answers. But I wanted to let Carina know we had arrived, so I tried to follow her instructions about how to call. My first attempt resulted in an obvious "this phone call cannot be completed as dialed" tone followed by a recorded German voice. My second attempt connected with a human, but when I asked to speak to Carina, she said something I didn't understand, so I asked if I had the wrong number and she repeated, "Wrong Number", so I hung up. I now have a T-mobile phone with internet capability so I logged into my webmail account and sent Carina an email. She called us after that and when I picked up the phone to answer it, Tony said he had thought it was the remote control for the television. Maybe it was one of those "All-In-One" remotes like we had seen in, "Click".

We told Carina we were off to get some lunch and a beer and agreed to meet her back at the apartment at 5:30. We found a little cafe called CafeHaus Zauberkessel in Wehrheim where we had a bowl of Gulaschsuppe and Spargelcremesuppe with two beers.

Since I knew my aerobics class was in boot camp at this time, I decided to have my own form of German boot camp.

We stopped by the grocery store for some essentials including a bottle of Rauscher, a local young wine that has not finished fermenting yet. We did not realize that the Rauscher was not sealed (to prevent the bottle from exploding during the continuing fermentation), so we lost a little to spillage when we lay the bottle on its side in the back seat of the rental car.

We went back to the apartment and took a short nap. When Carina arrived home, we gave her all of the mail treasures we had brought and went to take a shower. Fresh from our shower, we visited with Carina a bit and then her German mother, Christine (pronounced Chris-tine-ah) came in. Christine was very pleased to meet Carina's American mother (she had met Tony a year before). She grabbed my shoulders with a firm grip and gave me a kiss on both cheeks.

Our younger (older) daughter, Sandra met us for dinner in Frankfurt at a very traditional German restaurant called zur Sonne (the Sun) where I had the best Jaegerschnitzel I think I have ever had. Apfelwein was the beverage of the region so we shared a pitcher. Sandra instructed that it was best when mixed with mineral water, but Tony preferred it undiluted.

After dinner, we were all tired, so we left Sandra in Frankfurt and drove back to Wehrheim. Tony and I had a glass of Dornfelder wine with some 85% Cocoa chocolate before retiring.

On Saturday, I woke up at 8:10, and read my book until Carina came in around 10. We went next door to Carina's parents house for a traditional German breakfast of cold cuts, cheese and breads.

ı et Christine's friend, Berndt for the first time. He entertained us with stories of their bicycle trip through France.

After breakfast, Carina took us into town to see where the apples are crushed and made into juice or Apfelwein. Villagers were lined up with their apples for processing.

he apples are weighed and the owner is given a receipt. Then they stand in line with their receipt and are given juice in exchange. There is a platform above the apple crusher where observers can watch the process. We returned some bottles and bought some juice and apfelwein.

Carina, Christine, Berndt, Tony and I went to Hessenpark, a village of old buildings which had been relocated to create a historic area.

We relaxed at home for a little while until Sandra arrived with Rocky, the Rottweiler and Senad, the new boyfriend.

We had coffee and desserts and then took a walk through the fields. Sandra taught me that cows do not have upper teeth. I told her that I grew up on a cattle farm in Georgia and I never knew cows had no upper teeth. I think that in Germany, they pull the cows teeth!

Tony, Carina, Sandra, Senad and I went to the Magic Bowl in Oberursel for a few games. The shoes were really slick, so we did some acrobatics while we bowled.

The next lane over was filled with little children who were hoisting their balls over their shoulders and throwing them. Sometimes they would bounce across the lane in front of us as we were bowling. We have grown accustomed to Sandra beating us at all sports endeavors so we were not surprised when she beat us again, but none of our scores were anything to be proud of. We had some obligatory beers at the bowling alley and Sandra made sure we toasted correctly by looking each other in the eye while we said, "Stößchen".

Carina's friend Katrin joined us for the second game and then we went to the local Brauhaus for dinner.

I had Schnitzel and Tony had Sauerkraut with Nurnberger Rostbratwuerstchen. The food was good, but we had more fun playing with it than eating it!

The beer from the Brauhaus was very mild and had a pleasant taste, but we preferred wine with our dinner. Katrin knew the proprieter, so after dinner she got permission for us to go upstairs to see the historical rooms.

We were not quite ready to go home yet, so we stopped by Das Boot for a few games of tischfussball (foosball).

Back at home, we opened the Rauscher, ate some chocolate and talked until 2AM.

Sunday, we had agreed to meet at 9:30 for breakfast but all of us were very tired. Christine and Bernd had gotten home from a relative's wedding at 3AM. After breakfast, it was nap time. We met back up at 12:30 to go to Bad Homburg for some sightseeing.

It was a beautiful day. We took a rest stop at the Petit Cafe.

Then we walked through the KurPark, a park located amongst medical facilities where people spend time recuperating. Inside the Kurpark is a mock Roman temple, a Siamese pavilion and the oldest Spielbank (casino) in Europe. We took turns posing with the statues in the Kurpark.

When we got home, it was so pretty, we sat outside and had more Rauscher with bread and cheese while Sandra took Rocky for a little walk. Tony, Carina and I watched "In Her Shoes" until it was time for dinner. We had Christine's delicious spaghetti and salad. Bernd showed us his new wine opener that he had gotten for his birthday. He started to tell us a joke, but realized in the middle that it was not very flattering for Americans so he could not finish it. We watched Fluch der Karibik (Pirates of the Carribean) after dinner. It was dubbed in German, so I tried to use my lip reading skills to tell what they were saying.

Christine dropped by to show us the outfit she had worn to the wedding. Wow! Looks like she upstaged the bride!

The shutters in Carina's bedroom are the wonderful German room darkening kind, so Monday we slept until 10AM when the phone awakened us. Thomas, our German son, picked us up at 11:00AM and we took Rocky to Saalburg for a walk. Rocky made sure to mark his territory at every opportunity. "That's mine, that's mine, that's mine, that's mine..."

We had a nice lunch in Miltenburg at the restaurant CentGraf. German restaurants are very pet-friendly so Rocky got to sleep on the floor next to our table while we ate.

Thomas has lost 12 kilos since we last saw him!

We took a little walk around the vineyards at Furst Winery before tasting the wine.

For the first time, we tasted some really good German red wine!
We bought a couple of bottles and Thomas bought a couple of cases. We dropped Rocky off at Thomas' house in Gross Auheim before going to dinner. Thomas showed us where he sometimes takes Rocky for a walk.

We arrived early at the restaurant Adolf Wagner where we were to meet Carina, so we had a few glasses of wine and bought some cheese bread from the roving pretzel man.

The restaurant was another traditional Apfelwein restaurant, but we skipped the Apfelwein since we had already tried it. Thomas recommended that we try the beef in green sauce and the roast pork with sauerkraut. Both were delicious.

Back at home, we finished watching "In her Shoes" and celebrated Bernd's birthday with Champagne and chocolate.

Tuesday morning, we got up at 7:00AM when our first alarm went off. (We had set 4 alarms and asked Carina to knock on our door, just to be sure the room darkening shades didn't make us miss our flight.) Carina left a sweet note and a egg carton full of kindereggs for us. She's a good daughter!

German security required that we put our liquid toiletries in their zip lock bags and they took my hair-spray, because the label said it exceeded the 100ml limit by 10ml. There was probably only 10ml left in it anyway. On the way home, between meals and naps, we watched a couple of decent movies, Little Man and The Break-Up. We were herded to a very crowded Immigrations line and then we had to wait in line again for another security screening just so we could leave the airport.

It was a great trip! It is good to see that our German children are doing so well. When we got home, our mailbox was chocked full of mail. There's probably some for Carina so we'll have to go back soon to deliver it!

County Clare, Ireland

2008-01-07T07:19:00.000-08:00

"Home Sweet Retirement Home"

Tony is still talking about retiring to Ireland. I am still not sure I'm in, but I don't have a better plan, so I agreed to go with him to look for property. I figured it couldn't hurt to look around.

I dropped Tony off at the Hilton so he could get his shoes shined while I went to park the car. I had gotten my shoes shined there a couple of weeks previous. The shiner did a fabulous job, making mine shine like new, but he was not to be found when Tony got there.

We took the Hilton shuttle to the airport, arriving in plenty of time for our wide-open flight. The jaunt through security was a little more involved than usual for us since we were traveling with our new (to us) baby laptop.

The baby laptop was one of Tony's eBay purchases. Our first laptop had the biggest screen we could find and was heavy, not at all conducive to travel. The new baby laptop, a Fujitsu Lifebook, is the perfect size for travel. Tony had outfitted the baby laptop with a new USB bluetooth device and a Sony-Ericsson wireless card that accepts his T-Mobile SIM card. He would pair the bluetooth with his GPS dongle and use the wireless card to surf the internet for property and then use the GPS and Microsoft navigation software to find the property. We also had Jill, our Garmin Nuvi GPS Navigator for backup.

The Security line at the Atlanta Airport was fairly short. We took the baby laptop out of my suitcase and placed it in it's own bin. We put our toiletries (in their 3 oz or less bottles inside of a one quart zip-lock bag) along with our shoes, keys, change and Tony's belt buckle in a separate bin. Miraculously, we made it through with all of our belongings and did not have to suffer a body cavity search. It took us a good bit of time to reassemble our luggage on the other end though.

Since we would be sitting for 6+ hours, we thought it would be a good idea to walk to E Concourse for our flight. When we finally arrived at our gate at the far end of the concourse, they were already clearing the non-revs. We noticed the girl ahead of us in line was wearing jeans and we commented to each other about it. As we were picking up our boarding passes, we overheard the gate agent discussing the dress code with her. She was looking quite distraught at the prospect of sitting in coach just because of her (very nice looking dress) jeans. I decided to offer her a pair of my pants that would meet the dress code. She was very grateful and rushed off to change.

On the plane, we met formally and our new friend Kathy (wearing borrowed pants) told us that she lives in Ireland. She is an author and has written a travel book about Ireland. She gave us the address of her website: www.celticmists.com.

We had a delightfully short flight with favorable tail-winds shuttling us into Shannon a half an hour early. The pilot warned of a bumpy landing, so we tightened our seatbelts, but it was surprisingly calm. On the ground, Kathy ducked into the first restroom and changed back into her jeans so she could return my pants.

We dawdled around the airport so that we wouldn't pick up our rental car too early. We picked up the 2007 B&B guide and a map before we approached the Alamo counter. The Alamo agent accepted our letter from the credit union showing proof that our credit card covers the collision damage waiver without question. While Tony signed the paperwork, I stepped outside to see what the weather was like. It was windy and cool. I got back to the counter just in time to hear the agent tell Tony that it would be 10 minutes before our car was ready. When she motioned to us that it was ready, I looked outside and it had started to rain horizontally. We more or less blew across the street to the car and were drenched by the time we got our luggage loaded and got seated.

Technology Gone Bad!
Dawn was just starting to break, so we decided to take our time getting our equipment set up so we could start driving when it was light. First we got out Jill, our trusty Garmin Nuvi navigator. We were surprised at how quickly she acquired satellites, but disappointed to find that we had forgotten to load the Ireland maps. No matter, thought Tony as he instructed me to get out the baby laptop and GPS dongle. We hooked everything up and opened the Microsoft Streets and Trips application. The map in the software only had the towns, but no roads. Undaunted (well, to be honest, we were both actually fairly daunted at this point), we decided to try to connect to the internet to look at some maps. No luck! The wireless card would not connect. We looked at our watch to see if we could still make the flight back through Dublin to the U.S., but it was too late.

We started driving in the dark and rain, both of us in rather bad moods. We pulled over to the side of the road & Tony took over the laptop and figured out that I had opened Microsoft Streets and Trips, the U.S. version instead of Microsoft AutoRoute, the European version. Autoroute had most of the major highways (the green and orange roads on our Ordnance Survey Discovery Series paper maps). Then I finally got the internet to connect, so at least we had SOME technology.

Watch out for that BUS!
We used our old fashioned paper maps along with the GPS tracking on the laptop to try to navigate. We started out toward Ennis. As we rounded the bend at the top of the estuary, we spotted a tiny road that looked like it might match the one on the map that we wanted to take. We had only gotten a few hundred yards down it when we rounded the bend and realized we were in the path of a HUGE Bus Eireann, coming fast. We dodged to the left and dropped the front wheel of our rental car squarely in a ditch. I was bracing myself for Tony's tirade when I saw the bus driver and two other men approaching. Another man drove up and opened his trunk and pulled out a strap. There was a lot of chin stroking and some conversation that Tony and I could not understand. They circled the car looking for a place to attach the strap and finally settled on a place just in front of the right front tire.
Tony instructed me to sit in the driver’s seat while he leapt out to help the other men. They all positioned themselves along the strap in tug-of-war style and started to pull while I gunned the motor and the tire hanging over the ditch spun. The car won the tug of war. There was more chin stroking and more conversation. We understood the word "tractor". One man got in his car and backed away from the scene. A few minutes later, he backed toward us with his tow hitch prominently displayed. I got out to take a few photos.

One of the men took over as the driver of our car and they started the tug of war between the two cars. Our car won again. They backed the other car up some more and retied the strap shorter. That did the trick! The little rental car popped out of the ditch no worse for the wear. I clapped with delight and the men all grinned and wished us a good holiday. After that experience, we were very careful about keeping the car on the road!

Our mood brightened significantly as we realized that our "pay it forward by loaning pants" deed had brought good luck to us in the form of those helpful men! It had been raining all morning, but during the car towing episode, it stayed dry and then as soon as we drove away, the rain started up again. We have "big luck!"

Not such big luck, mind you that we weren't still considering cutting our trip short though, so I tried to bring up Delta's Travelnet site to check the next day flight availability. I retrieved the baby laptop from the dash where I had put it during the unfortunate ditch experience. When I tried to put in the web site address, the "L" key generated a "3". A reboot didn't help. Finally we figured out that when Tony slammed on the brakes to avoid the bus, I had grabbed the keyboard, striking the "Num Lk" key, which on the baby laptop changes some of the letters to a numeric pad. By the time I found and fixed it, we had lost interest in checking the return flights, which was a good thing because we heard radio reports of flights being cancelled due to high winds.

We found the first house that Tony had planned to look for fairly easily, but it had a "Sale Agreed" sign posted over the "For Sale" Sign. We kept driving and found a few other houses for sale that we were able to find on the internet. Most were out of our price range.

After a couple of stops for Tony’s obligatory Diet Cokes, we started looking for a pub (mainly for a bathroom). None of the towns were populated enough to have pubs until we got to Kilrush. We popped into Crotty's pub and gratefully made our way back to the restrooms. We had a couple of pints of Carlsberg and some potato and carrot soup. The soup was the consistency of applesauce, but was delicious. Warmed and refreshed, we started out again.

We made our way out to Loop Head and found a wonderful house that had beautiful views in all directions, but was more than we wanted to spend. We drove back along the north coast where the views are spectacular. This is much prettier than the Cliff's of Moher! With the wind blowing at more than 120km/hour, the waves were splashing above the 100 foot cliffs. We later learned that two trawlers had been lost at sea during the high winds. The whole country was mourning the deaths of the crew.

We saw what we thought was a sandy beach up ahead, but as we got closer, we realized it was not sand, but foam on the rocks! It looked like snow on the road and stuck to our windows as it blew off of the water.

As we drove into Kilkee, I studied the B&B Guide and found two possibilities that were open in January. We spotted the Bayview right away and hoped they had rooms.

the front door opened when we pushed it! A good sign. We couldn't find anyone inside, so we followed the sign through the back to Hickie's bar.

We ordered a beer (my first Guinness of the trip) and inquired about a room.

We were pleased that Room 1 with a view of the bay was available. There were 2 double beds, but one had visible waves in the mattress, so we used that one for our luggage and had a comfortable night's sleep on the other one.

The bartender at Hickies advised that there were only 2 places to get food in town. The little seafood restaurant across the street looked a little too fancy for us, so we went to the Stella Maris Hotel.

Tony had the vegetable soup and I had some wonderful seafood chowder. We split an order of french fries. We made it an early night since it was our first and went to bed around seven. I woke up a couple of times during the night and had a little trouble getting back to sleep, but when 7AM came I wasn't ready to get up yet. We had arranged for breakfast at 8:30, so we finally rolled out of bed around 7:30.

Our hostess had a "Mrs. Doubtfire" brogue as she guided us to the breakfast table. As I started for a table in the corner, she instructed, "Oh no, deeeaaarrrr, take this one by the heat." She went to get me some coffee and Tony ran across the street to get his morning Diet Coke.

I ordered the full Irish breakfast, while Tony just ordered toast. When the breakfast came, I divided it with Tony. We're sort of like Jack Sprat and his wife. How did that go? Jack Sprat could eat no bacon; his wife could eat not sausage...?"

After Mrs. Doubtfire served breakfast, she said, "I think I'll take a nap. Things don't start up around here until around 1 in January." And with that, she turned out the lights and left us to finish our breakfast in the dark.

We started driving north along the coast looking for "For Sale" signs. There was a picturesque scene with a church tower just below Quilty.

Just north of Quilty, our Microsoft map actually had the road we were on! It appears that the GPS tracking is so accurate that it actually showed us driving on the left side of the road.

We saw a few houses for sale and noted the web site addresses: www.ejcarroll.com www.eraireland.ie www.leyden.ie

One of the houses, which we later found at a real estate office, was on a "yellow" road just north of Milltown Malbay. It was an interesting property with two houses, a barn and some outbuildings on it, but unless we can find someone who wants to buy it with us, at $450K, it is out of our price range.

We kept driving to Lahinch. When we came into town, we saw one of the properties Tony was looking for right in front of us. We went nuts! It was just perfect - right on the water, in a bustling town with 4 windows that overlooked the water. There was no "For Sale" sign, so we assumed it had been sold.

We parked in front of it and walked around the town. We saw a Leyden Realty and stopped in. We talked to Roger Leyden. He did not know about Clairville, but he gave us some flyers for some other possibilities. Tony took a call from work, so while he was dealing with that, I questioned Roger about how difficult it might be for an American to buy property in Ireland. He said it was very easy, "You have to agree on a price and give a deposit of 5-10,000 Euro that is refundable showing that you are serious about the purchase. When you sign the contract, you put up 5-10% which is non-refundable if you do not follow through. Then you just close the sale."

We stopped for a pint at the CornerStone Pub and looked up the Clairville on the internet.

It seemed to still be for sale. We called the agent, Aine (pronounced Onya), and she hurried over to show us the property. It was not exactly as we had pictured. It was the back half of what had at one time been a single property.

There was a small entry way with a door to the right that led to a den with a solid fuel heater (the only one in the house).

Off of the den, was a small kitchen with a dorm sized refrigerator and a sink.

Another door off of the den, led to a tiny bedroom, just big enough for a twin bed.

Back out to the entryway, we turned right and went past a storage area under the stairs to get to the "big" kitchen. The big kitchen was barely big enough for a stove, a sink and a washing machine.

A door opened to the outside where there was a patio. Halfway up the stairs, there was a decent sized full bathroom.

All of the doorways and ceilings were a bit low, barely tall enough so that we didn't bump our heads.

On the top floor was the "master" bedroom, which was "ensuite" with one of the smallest bathrooms either of us had ever seen, rivaling the one in our hotel room in Nice.

The guest room was fairly large, housing two twin beds with a sitting room adjacent.

The agent advised that it was a registered building (the equivalent of our national historic register) and could not be altered. She thought we could probably get planning permission to make some modifications to the interior but not the exterior.

Tony told the agent that he had found the listing on www.myhome.ie and raved about what a great resource it was. She said that it costs them 100-150Euro to list a property on that site!

We sat in the car for a few minutes and discussed the property. I was more interested in it than Tony was, seeing it as a place where we could come for the next couple of years to enjoy as a vacation home, and then if we still wanted to settle here, we could sell it and buy a quieter place. I liked the prospect of being close enough to walk to the shops, pubs and restaurants. Tony was surprised by my enthusiasm. We made a list of questions to ask and started talking about how to make an offer.

How much are the utilities?
What kind of water heater does it have?
Did it have a big refrigerator (or space for one)?
What is the parking situation?
How much are the taxes?
How much will insurance cost?
What is a First Time Buyer's Stamp? Do we qualify? Do we need one?
How is external building maintenance handled?
What are ownership issues with 1/2 a building?

We decided think about it some more while we drove to Doolin to see if there were any other properties that interested us.

We stopped for a bathroom break at the Visitor's Center at the Cliffs of Moher. The Cliffs of Moher is under construction, by the way. Well, probably not the cliffs, but certainly the parking lot and visitors center. It was so windy that Tony had trouble donning his raincoat for the walk from the parking lot. Having seen them before in prettier weather, we didn't make the walk out to the cliffs.

There was one "derelict" property that we tried to find, but it appeared to be up an ill-maintained road, and after our ditch experience we weren't interested in taking any chances. We saw some familiar faces around Doolin.

We drove out to the pier to see what the seas looked like around the ferry dock.

As expected, the ferries weren't running. We stopped in town for some vegetable soup and a pint of Harp at O'Connor's. We decided to drive back to Lahinch to spend the night where we could look around and spend more time thinking about the Clairville.

There was one B&B in the guide that met our requirement (0km from town), but we couldn't find it easily, so we stopped at the Lahinch Golf Lodge www.lahinch.ie where we had stayed 5 years before with our friend Page on a bike trip.
Conor, the proprietor showed us a nice room, but there was a crack between the window and the window frame, so he thought we might be more comfortable in another room. The next room he showed us had a broken shower head. Conor said, "Its a bit like Faulty Towers here this time of year." We were back to the first room. As we were getting settled, Conor came in with a piece of 2x4 lumber and rammed the window frame, closing the crack.

We went for a walk while it was still light and were very pleased with the variety of shops and restaurants in town. Of course, several places were closed because it was off-season. We stopped into Kenny's and sat by the fire while we surfed the internet looking for comparables in Lahinch.
Four "surfer-dudes" saw us surfing the net and came over to show us their pictures on the Magic Seaweed website http://magicseaweed.com/photoLab/viewPhoto.php?photoId=3146 In the picture of the surfer-dude below, the surfer is pointing at a picture of a wave taken just offshore at the Cliffs of Moher.

We had a good toast (tomato, ham, cheese & onion on toasted bread) with french fries at the Atlantic Hotel and then went back to our B&B.

We went to the lounge where we met some Australians and watched the local* soap opera, "Coronation Street". The Aussies went to bed and left us with the TV. We watched a bit more and then Conor came in to see if we needed anything. We asked him about the Clairville. He said that it had been for sale for a couple of years and "it's only half a house". He also said that it is near a disco and would be very loud. We started reconsidering our interest. We went to bed to sleep on it.

We slept from 10PM to 9AM! The wind blew loudly all night long! Breakfast was "fix-it-yourself" so we took our time getting ready, and then had cereal and toast. We drove up Station Road, looking for another property that we had found that "cannot be used as an investment property or holiday home." We weren't sure what that meant and we never found the actual property that was supposed to be located at 27 Station Road, but we got far enough away from the water that we knew we weren't interested.

We decided to drive back toward the south, and continue to look in that direction. We stopped at Spanish Point when we saw some surfers getting ready to go out. We tried to take some pictures from the window of the car, but rain was blowing in, so we were only able to snap a couple. These people are nuts - going out in the cold choppy surf!

We took some notes on a couple of properties before making a stop at Cooney's Quilty Tavern.

We finally found the house, and if you really squinted, you could barely make out the ocean in the distance on a clear day.

We saw another house along the way for sale by an auctioneer, Mossy Horgan. We stopped to write down the phone number just as a couple of men were pulling into the driveway.

Tony got out to talk to them. One of them turned out to be the builder. The house was in our price range (195K) and he offered to let us see it. It had a distant view of the ocean and surrounding golf courses. It was a bit chopped up, with a large den, full bathroom, small kitchen and 2 small bedrooms downstairs (one with a small shower room).

Upstairs was 2 bedrooms under the eaves with a slanted ceiling and a full bathroom.

As we left, I directed Tony to take a "gray" road on the map. Green and orange roads are major highways; yellow roads are usually paved, sometimes with grass growing down the middle. Gray roads apparently are not meant for cars, only tractors or monster trucks. The road went right through a pasture and was covered in mud puddles! They were so deep at places that I am sure the water was above the doors of the car. There was NO place to turn around. Tony was NOT happy. We slipped and slid our way down the road for about a mile and a half, just sure that we were going to have to trudge through the mud on foot at any moment looking for someone to help tow our car again. We were both wishing we had gone to the bathroom before we started this bumpy adventure.

When we finally got back to a yellow road, we found the house of Tony's dreams. It was not finished yet, but it had a fabulous view of the ocean in two directions. While we were sitting in the driveway admiring it, a man drove up. We asked him if he knew how much it was selling for. He said he was just the "bathroom guy" but he could give us the phone number of the builder.

It was getting late and we were ready to stop for the day, so we headed back to Kilkee and the Bayview where we had stayed two nights before. When we parked the rental car, we noticed that it was missing a hub cap and possibly some piece of trim from over the back window. We're not sure if those pieces were on it when we rented it or not, but we're pretty sure the mud was our addition. It was filthy!

Mrs. Doubtfire said that Room 1 was taken but she could put us in Room 3. We liked Room 3 at least as well as Room 1. It only had one double bed in it, but it had two windows overlooking the bay.

The temperature had dropped significantly so we put on more layers and set out to explore the town. After walking around a bit, we decided to stop into Joe's for a Guinness.

We called the phone number for the dream house and found out that it was out of our price range. We decided to drown our sorrows in some tomato basil soup at the Stella Maris hotel.

When we got back to the room, it was bitterly cold. I felt of the furnace and the bottom left felt warm, as if it had recently gone off or was about to come on. We burrowed down under the covers and huddled together for warmth, pretending we were in a snow cave. It never got any warmer. I kept my socks on to avoid having to step barefooted on the cold hardwood floor when I went to the bathroom. I dreamed that Mrs. Doubtfire came in and built a fire for us during the night. At 8, Tony nudged me and said I should get up to take my shower. It took about 15 minutes to coax me out of bed. The shower was nice and warm so I took a long one. When I came out, the corner of the furnace was starting to warm up a bit so I stood near it to get dressed, but it never really put out much heat.

At breakfast, Mrs. Doubtfire seemed hurt when we told her we had been a bit cold during the night. I mentioned that I didn't know how to turn on the heat and she said it was on most of the night. She said it only heated the bottom part. I went back up to the room and felt of the bottom part of the heater and it was warm, but no heat had reached the top (or the rest of the room).

I made a couple of notes of things to add to my packing list. Most of the places where we have stayed in Ireland don't seem to realize the need for a mirror near the hair dryer, so they place the hair dryer in obscure places, like behind the TV.

have decided to start bringing a larger travel mirror for these cases, or, for those places that do not supply a hair dryer, I'll pack an extension cord so my travel hair dryer will reach the mirror from the (usually only) outlet in the room. I also want to add binoculars (for watching the surfers) and a thermometer so I can tell whether we are really sleeping in arctic conditions or if it is just my imagination.

We met a nice couple from Wales at breakfast who were just here for the weekend. The wife thought she wanted to live in Ireland, so the husband thought they should come in January to see what it is like before they moved here.

As we left Kilkee, we started out going the wrong way up a one way street until a man gestured to us. We turned around and got headed the right way. We took the coast road back toward Loophead. We took more pictures of the beautiful views along the coast.
We stopped at a parking lot and walked out onto one of the rocky outcroppings. We were afraid to get too close to the edge because it was so windy.

When we got back to our rental car, it had deteriorated!

Seriously, we wondered what had happened to the occupants of these two cars. We hoped they had not met their demise on these cliffs!

We stopped at a small development in Cross, but the view was not what we were hoping for. We went on to Carrigaholt and stopped at Morrissey's Village Pub. Tony: "I'll have a Harp." Bartender: "We don't have any Harp." BJ: "I'll have a Smithwicks. Bartender: "We don't have any Smithwicks. All we have is Budweiser." BJ and Tony: "We'll have 2 Budweisers." Bartender: "We just ran out of Budweiser. All we have is cans." BJ and Tony: "We'll have 2 cans of Heineken." We played a couple of hands of Casino before starting out again.

We found a little yellow house just inside Doonaha that we had seen on a previous trip.

One other house captured our interest along the same road. It was not a new construction, but it had a nice view and a garage.

We decided to take the most direct route from Querrin to Newmarket on Fergus near the airport to see how long it would take. We stopped to write down the phone number for these new construction homes we saw along the way.

We made a stop for gas and a stop for a diet coke and were in Ennis in an hour and Newmarket on Fergus in an hour and a half. An acceptable commute. The blue line on the map below represents our route for this trip. If you look closely, you can see the pushpins where we marked houses we were interested in.

We took a room at the Hunter's Lodge where we had stayed before and strolled across the street to O'Neill's "The Best Little Pub in Ireland". We were once again treated to an "Irish Flag" and conversation with the three daughters of Anna, the owner. Anna had gone for dinner so we didn't get to see her.

We walked down to the grocery store to get some Irish Soda Bread. We're not sure if we'll be allowed to carry it back into the country with us, but we figure it is worth a try. We had soup and chips (french fries) at the Hunter's pub and then retired to our room for the night.

We had a nice flight home with a wonderful flight crew.

We made it home with the bread! Its in the freezer. Tony is going to try to recreate the Irish Vegetable soup one of these cold winter nights to go with it. Now that we've picked out a few houses we might be interested in, Tony has to decide if he is really serious about this venture!

*Update: After publishing this write-up, we got an email from our new Irish pen-pal, Karen who tells us that "Coronation Street" is actually an English soap, set in Manchester. She says, "If you want a real Irish soap though, next time you're here, check out "Ros Na Run" on TG4 (the Irish language channel) It's set in Spiddal, about 10 miles from Galway, and for a small village, a lot goes on there! It's in Irish, but with english sub-titles. I don't know what part of the States you're in, but believe it or not "Ros Na Run" is now available in Philadelphia."

**Another Update: We got our bill from T-Mobile! We won't be surfing the internet in Ireland with our T-Mobile card again except in extreme emergencies. Our bill for this trip was $450!!! Live and learn!

Limavady, Northern Ireland

2008-01-07T07:16:00.000-08:00

"Gordon's Surprise Party"

This is the continuation of a trip that started in Venice ...

We checked in for our Aer Lingus flight and were given seat assignments. So THIS is what it’s like to fly with a “real” ticket! We had been worried about being able to take our backpacks as carry-on due to the weight restrictions we had read on the web site (6 kilograms each), but there was no question about it. We browsed through the duty-free shops and then sat in the wireless internet area. We were disappointed to find that the wireless was not free, nor did they seem to offer a by-the-hour rate. The only options we saw were monthly or yearly rates.

Passing through passport control, we grabbed a tramezzino (a wedge sandwich on soft bread with lots of mayonnaise) and some chips and headed for the gate. When our flight was called, we boarded a bus and were taken to the plane where we found we had a three across all to ourselves! Aer Lingus has an elaborate food and beverage menu including hot and cold selections available, all for purchase. We had an uneventful flight and arrived in Dublin ahead of schedule, only to find another passport control which took a very long time to get through. The agents seemed to be scrutinizing everyone very closely. We were surprised they didn't question us closely about the number of times we had visited Ireland (Tony’s 4th trip of 2007, my 3rd). After getting through immigration we found the hotel board and called for the Hilton shuttle.

By the time we arrived at the hotel, it was past eleven o'clock, but we had gotten a page from our Venice friends asking for some flight information so we set up the computer and prepared to use the broadband connection from the hotel room. We had mistaken their advertised “broadband connection in every room” to mean that it was included in the room rate, but there was an additional charge so we opted to risk using our T-mobile sim card again. We'll know when we get the bill whether this was a good idea or not.

We slept very well and woke up at almost 9AM. There was a little bit of confusion about the bill since I was using my HiltonHonors points to pay for the room, but we got it resolved in time to catch the 10AM shuttle back to the airport to pick up our rental car.

We had a big hassle (as usual) about the car rental insurance. Thrifty refused to accept our credit card insurance even though we had brought a letter from our Credit Union indicating that we were covered, even in the Republic of Ireland. The insurance from Thrifty was 29 Euro per day, which is more than the rate for the car! After some arguing about it, the agent agreed to call the Credit Union. The first representative could not find documentation that we were insured, but she passed us to a supervisor who confirmed. The Thrifty agent reluctantly called his manager and they decided to allow it if they could put a 2000 Euro hold on our credit card.

We finally got away from the airport at about 11:30AM. Jill, our GPS, optimistically had it taking us slightly over 2 hours to get to Limavady, but we were skeptical since I had read on the internet that it was a 4 1/2 hour drive. Jill was pretty close to right. We made a couple of stops for restroom and Diet Coke breaks and it took us about 3 hours.

We rang the bell at the B&B but no one answered so we drove into town to look around. Hoping to take a look at the Radisson hotel, we walked to where we thought it was. It wasn't there, so we asked at a small store. The owner, John Montieth (or Moncrief, we don't really understand the Irish accent very well), said that we could either walk back to town and go down the long winding driveway or we could keep walking in the direction we were heading and cut through the park. It was a lovely day so we took option two. It took us on a very nice walk along the river and eventually wound around to the hotel.

The golf course and hotel grounds were very pretty and green. There was a family flying toy airplanes out front since it was a nice windy day for it. We made our way back to town and at my suggestion drove back to the B&B to check in. Tony wanted to stop in town for a pint first, but it seems he and I have swapped roles and it is now me who is concerned about having a place to stay before darkness overtakes. At Whitehill, Mrs. McCormick greeted us at the door and showed us to our room. Dropping our bags, we freshened up a bit and then headed back to town.

The Restaurant 50, where the party was to be held, was locked up tight with a garage door over the front of the restaurant. This made us wonder if we had the right night for the party. We sent a text page to a friend back home asking him to check the “evite” for the starting time. His reply said the party was to start at 6:30PM. Since we were a bit early, we had a pint of Harp at the pub across the street from the restaurant.

Shortly before 6:30, we saw the doors of 50 open and some folks go in. When we arrived, we were greeted by the United States contingent (John, Zoë, Patrick, Enid, Kevin, our buddy passers Ranger Jon and Dr. B., Tim and his family) and lots of Gordon's school friends. Before long, a totally unsuspecting Gordon and his family arrived. The look on Gordon's face was priceless.

He looked from face to face, surprised and delighted to see everyone. We had drinks downstairs and then moved upstairs for dinner. We had a lively time, meeting Gordon's family and friends and sharing stories about our soon to be 50 year old friend.

Later we walked down the street to Gordon's favorite pub (Owen's), getting in just before they closed the doors. In Northern Ireland, it seems that you can stay in a pub after 11PM if you are already there, but you cannot enter after 11PM. The front door was locked at 11, so when we got ready to leave, we had to exit the back door.

Our B&B was quite comfortable and breakfast was delicious. Two poached eggs on sweet greasy pancakes were surrounded by sausage, ham and tomatoes.

We had learned from some folks in town that the local currency (Ulster Pounds) would not be accepted in other parts of the United Kingdom outside of Northern Ireland, so we were disappointed when we paid with British Pounds Sterling and got Ulster Pounds as change.

After breakfast, we set out for Giant's Causeway, stopping by Gordon's parents on the way. We woke the ones who had gotten in at 3AM, but they graciously offered us tea and regaled us with stories about Gordon's childhood.

At Giant's Causeway we paid 5 Ulster Pounds to park, leaving us with just 10 to go. We walked along the upper trail first and then came back along the lower trail.

The formation of rocks is quite unusual.

After the walk, we drove the scenic coast road down to Larne, marveling at the beautiful views including hundreds of tiny baby lambs along the road.

When we reached Larne, we decided we had better blast back down toward Dublin to get there before dark so we could find a place to stay.

It took us about 2 1/2 hours to reach Skerries, a seaside town just north of Dublin. We made one stop to get gas just north of Newry. Our remaining 10 Ulster pounds (about $20) got us only 1/4 tank of gas. In Skerries we found Ronnies B&B after stopping in a pub to ask directions. No one answered the door at Ronnies so we moved on to the next place on the list, the Jantol House. We realized as we approached that we had stayed here before. It was clean and modern and quite reasonably priced at 35 Euro per person per night. The owner, Mr. Tolan sent us to "Stoop your Head" for dinner where I had a delicious bowl of seafood chowder and Tony, the vegetable soup. Back at the B&B, Mr. Tolan let us use his computer to check the flight. The count was showing 18 available seats and only 9 standby passengers. Too close for us to be comfortable, but worth trying for.

The non-revenue gods were smiling on us! Tony, Ranger Jon, Dr. B. and I all got seats in business class! By the way, I don't think I mentioned that Dr. B. was sporting a new engagement ring at the end of the trip that I don't remember seeing before! They had something to toast about!

Venice, Italy

2008-01-07T07:14:00.000-08:00

"So, you are here. And so are you."

This was to be, by far, our most complicated trip, requiring us to do something we HATE to do - plan. We had been invited to a surprise birthday party for our friend Gordon (owner of the Limerick Junction pub). The party was to be in his home town of Limavady, Northern Ireland. Our friends Dr. Betsy and Ranger Jon would be traveling standby to the party too. Since they were novice standby travelers, I spent a lot of time researching their options as well. In the midst of all of the planning, our usual travel group decided that the Venice flights were looking favorable for travel, so we decided to combine the trips.

At the end of all of the planning, we had hotel reservations in Venice (a must, since it was Holy Week), a real ticket on Aer Lingus from Venice to Dublin, a hotel and car reserved in Dublin, and a B&B reserved in Limavady, leaving us only one night unaccounted for. This is way more planning than we are accustomed to.

Ranger Jon and Dr. B. had reservations on Ryan Air from London to Dublin, since the direct flight to Dublin looked dicey. My advice to them was to try for the Dublin flight and if they didn't get on, go to London, which looked more favorable for stand-by travel.

As the date of travel approached, the Venice group grew to nine. I had only reserved 3 double rooms and the hotel was full, so some of our travelers had to find other accommodations.

Travel day had me very nervous and watching our flights and our buddy-passers’ flights. Dr. B. made her flight from Salt Lake City with 6 seats to spare. Whew! The Dublin flight looked so bad that they decided to skip the nerve wracking waiting to see and go for the London flight. Dr. B. called from her business class seat to describe the big grin on her face! After they took off, we could start concentrating on our trip.

The number of business class seats to Venice had been shrinking as the number of standby travelers grew, so the more junior of our group decided to fly through New York. It seemed like a good option, but the ATL-JFK flight took a pretty major delay, making it look like they would miss their connection. Once they landed in JFK, their flight had to hold on the ground due to a security breach. The security breach kept the terminal closed though, so their JFK-VCE flight couldn't depart either. Originally, they were supposed to arrive in Venice several hours ahead of the Atlanta flight, but it started to look like it would be a race to see who got there first. Our flight took a slight delay and pushed back around 8:15pm. Just before we shut off our cell phones, we got a text page from the New York group saying they were getting ready to board.

The first thing we did when we landed was check the arrivals board and see that we had won the race across the ocean by 1 hour.

The five of us who flew from Atlanta waited in the coffee shop for the New Yorkers to arrive.

They looked frazzled! As it turns out, they had shared business class with a screaming baby!

Once united, the now nine of us caught the 3 Euro bus to Piazalle Roma and then took a 6 Euro Vapporetto ride to the Rialto bridge, where we tried to follow our map to the hotel, but none of the street names matched up. Frustrated, we stopped for a beer and to ask directions.

As it turns out, we were on the wrong side of the Grand Canal. We should have crossed the Rialto Bridge when we got off of the boat so we back tracked and crossed the busy bridge.

The hotel for the "original" seven of us was tucked away in the corner of a little piazza which housed the tourist attraction Scala Contarini del Bovola, a beautiful 15th century spiral staircase.

While the other two members of the group located their hotel, we rang the bell at ours and were greeted by Teresa (an Asian looking woman with an Italian accent; fascinating). She got us settled in to our rooms and set up a rollaway for our extra person.

After we dropped off our bags, we set off to meet the rest of our party at St. Mark's Square, hoping to find one of our favorite restaurants from a previous trip, Osteria de Carla, and make reservations.

Getting our bearings was not easy, so Tony and I finally split from the group to find the restaurant. It was much easier to navigate as a two group than to try to keep seven people herded together. We found the restaurant and they were delighted to reserve a spot for a 9 group at seven.

We found the rest of the group seated in the sun at a restaurant on St. Mark's Square.

We were going to have a snack and a beverage, but when we discovered there was a surcharge of 5 Euro per person, because there was a band playing, we decided to find some place cheaper. Leaving the square, we found a cozy little place called Antica something or other where we split pizzas and wine. After our snack, we walked down the wide sidewalk along the Grand Canal to see our friends' hotel, the Pensione Wildner.

The walkway was very crowded and we got split up a few times, but thankfully modern technology in the form of text messages helped us find each other.

We were disappointed in our dinner at Osteria da Carla, since our previous visits had been delightful.

The selections were very limited. Most of us got pasta and some were still hungry after dinner.

After dinner, the two staying at the Wildner headed back to their hotel while the rest of us wandered around and found a neat little wine bar called Leon Bianco (White Lion) with a host who looked like Raymond’s big brother Robert from "Everybody Loves Raymond". Along with our wine, Robert served us some complimentary snacks which he said were made from porco, and to make sure we understood, snorted like a pig. We didn't really know how we had gotten there so we were a little worried about finding our hotel in the dark, but as it turned out, we were just around the corner from Campo Manin, the nearest landmark to our hotel. The seven of us at this hotel dragged all of our chairs into one of the rooms for a nightcap and to talk about the day’s activities. During the chat, we had a couple of incidents with the chairs. One of our group broke two chairs before the night was over, so we had to pick at her a bit about that.

Our room overlooked the canal, so we awoke to the sound of boats navigating the turn at the corner of our building and to the sound of pigeons cooing. Love was definitely in the air for the pigeons. We saw a number of them performing a pre-mating dance ritual.

We had agreed to meet in St. Marks Square to start our day. Some of the group wanted to tour the church, so the early arrivers went ahead and got in the extremely long line while waiting for our group to assemble.

When the pair from the Wildner got there, one of them had read in Rick Steve's book that you could take your bags to the bag check and bypass the line. We were skeptical, so we sent two people to try it. It worked, so the rest of the group did it too. Tony and I had seen the church, so we opted to go for a walk instead.

Tony and I walked by our old stand-by hotel, The Fontana, and then continued onward to Via Garibaldi and had a baby beer (biera picola) at Osteria Del Garanghelo, a place with a clean and very necessary bathroom. Afterwards, we wound our way back to the Rialto Bridge to meet the others. It was EXTREMELY crowded (remember Holy Week), so we decided to set off in search of a quiet place for lunch.

The pizza place at Campo Santa Maria was just the ticket! The weather was incredible, forcing us to put on sun screen to keep from getting burned!

a couple from Baltimore heard our American voices and stopped to ask directions. We showed them our map and pointed to the square where we were sitting. The lady questioned, "So you are here?" One of our group responded, "Yes, and so are you." Everyone laughed. We even poke fun at strangers!

After pizza, we decided to follow a walking route from a brochure I had gotten from the Tourist Information bureau.

One of the stops was at the home of the famous poet, uh, uh, well, he was famous. Somebody asked me what the poet had written, so I just made something up. I said something like, "Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, I am a poet and I used to live here." Apparently as this got passed back through the group, a couple of people at the back of the group believed it. The conversation went like this, "What did she say? She said he wrote that famous poem about Roses are Red, Violets are blue. Oh, I have heard that one."

Our feet got tired before the tour ended so we stopped for a beer along the route at a place that had an elaborate gold stippled ceiling.

We continued the walking tour past the armory and then ended it early with a stop for wine on via Garibaldi.

The group split up to head to our separate hotels. Our “team” walked over to see the Accademia Bridge and then back to a shop near Campo Manin where we picked up some wine and snacks for later.

We planned to follow Rick Steve's advice and do a pub crawl for dinner, having tapas-like snacks and inexpensive house wine. The first stop was at Bacard Jazz near the Rialto Bridge. It was an interesting place, with bras hanging from the ceiling. The staff said if you took off your bra they would give you a t-shirt. None of our group got a t-shirt, but we did spot some nice bra's we'd like to have.

We got two platters of seafood, two platters of meat and a cheese platter. The seafood was very unusual, with lots of chewy squid-like items. The food and wine were much more expensive than we were expecting them to be, based on Rick's description.

The second stop on Rick's recommended pub crawl was far too crowded, so we decided to abort and find a restaurant for dinner. We stopped at l'Olandese Polante, an Irish pub next the Canada Hotel. They didn't have much of a food menu, but the wine was only 7.50 Euro per liter! We shared some wine while we studying the guide book to find a restaurant, settling on the Agli Artisti and then set out to find it. The restaurant couldn't seat us right away, so we made another stop down the street for a beverage. Dinner was delicious. Tony and I split the tourist Meat menu which consisted of a caprese salad, lasagna, a pork chop with french fries and gelato. All of that was a very reasonable 19 Euro.

After dinner, we went back to the hotel for the usual nightcap. This time, we decided to sit on the benches in the breakfast area so we wouldn't disturb the other guests (or break any more chairs).

Sunday morning, the seven at our hotel caught the vaporetta to Piazalle Roma and then rode back along the Grand Canal to see the sights.

The boat was very crowded and by now, the sky was misting rain. We all got off at the Salute stop where some folks went inside the cathedral to light a candle. As we wound our way toward the Accademia Bridge, we came upon the cute little Corner Bar where we (of course) stopped for beers and a snack.

When we came out, the sun was starting to peek out. We met the rest of our group at Campo Manin and went across the Rialto Bridge in search of lunch. At the Ostaria Ai Storti, most of the group had pizza, but I opted for the Spaghetti Vongole. It had the cutest little clams you ever saw!

After lunch, we went to Ruga Street to do some shopping. The girls bought purses and Murano glass while the rest grabbed a gelato to enjoy as they walked. Then some of us took a break while others continued to shop, and shop, and shop. Too soon it was time for Tony and me to leave for the airport to start the next phase of our journey. When we split up, several were going to see the San Giorgio Maggiore. Tony and I headed back to the hotel, picked up our bags and then walked to Piazalle Roma to catch the bus to the airport.

Vienna, Austria

2008-01-07T07:13:00.000-08:00

Delta started new service to Vienna, direct out of Atlanta, so of course we had to try it out! Surprisingly, there were empty seats over Memorial Day weekend! Of course we had a back-up plan, but as departure day approached, the flight continued to look promising for standby travel. So promising, in fact, that we did something we very rarely do, and reserved a room! Rick Steves recommended the Pension Hargita. As a four group, we preferred two double rooms, but the Pension responded that only a quad room was available. At 110 Euro/night, the price was certainly right, so we reserved.

We were in a quandary about what to wear on the flight. Since Delta changed the dress code for non-revenue passengers, we had lots more options. We are creatures of habit though, so we finally decided on our usual business casual attire. I went a little wild and actually wore dark colored tennis shoes with my outfit. Tony’s concession to the more relaxed dress code was to wear pants with patch pockets.

Checking in for the flight was a bit more difficult than usual. Thank goodness we ALWAYS allow plenty of time. The Employee Service Center at the airport was in the process of relocating to the lower level of the airport. We dropped by to take a look, but since we weren’t checking bags, we didn’t see the need to stand in line and headed upstairs to the kiosks. When each of us checked in using the kiosk, we got an error message as we swiped our passport, so we had to go back downstairs and stand in line to see an agent to check in. The security line was particularly long, but we still made it to E Concourse in time for a beverage in the food court. We tried out Tony’s new toy, a Nokia N800 Internet Tablet. We were able to check the flight and find that they had already started clearing the stand-by list so we hurried to the gate to collect our boarding cards.

Business Class in the newly configured 767 was quite comfortable. The seats recline just a little more than the old ones (160° to be exact) and include a touch screen entertainment system that you can pause when the flight attendant comes to see if you need more wine! Tony and I watched the same movie (“Because I Said So”) about 30 minutes apart. Tony agreed it was definitely a “chick-flick”. Before I started the movie, I studied the Vienna section of Rick Steves’ “Germany, Austria & Switzerland” book where I highlighted several things I wanted to see and do (including the Vienna Boys Choir and the giant Ferris Wheel).

When we arrived in Vienna, we found the nearest restroom and changed into shorts. We could already tell it was going to be hot just from the walk up the jetway into the airport! We spotted a sign touting an express train into the city that would take just 16 minutes and cost 64 Euro for the four of us to travel round-trip. There was a grocery store on the way to the train where we should have stopped, to stock up on the essentials (Diet Coke, Wine and Chocolate). Next time… Instead, we bought our train tickets from the kiosk and boarded the train. Sixteen minutes later, we arrived at the City Air Terminal which was conveniently located at the Landstrasse stop on the Vienna underground. A short subway ride to the Zieglergasse stop had us near the pension. We took the wrong exit from the subway station so we were a little turned around when we finally emerged into the bright sunlight. I stopped a passerby to ask directions. In my best German, I asked, “Sprechen ze Englisch?” When the lady answered yes, I asked “Do you know your way around?” She laughed and said, “I hope so, I am living here.” She helped us find the Pension Hargita.

In Krems, we climbed a steep hill to the Winegut Schlussel zum Gluck. There we had a nice conversation with the proprietress about the early summer they are having. The fruit on the cherry tree in the wine garden was starting to turn red, very unusual for this time of year; a far cry from ready to eat though.

We miscalculated the time it would take to get to the train station, so we thundered, breathless, up to the entrance just in time to miss the train. We decided to have a snack at the Conditoria Raimitz just outside the train station while we waited for the next one, but were disappointed to find that they did not serve pommes frites. While we ordered bier and wine, Tony went in search of pomme frites. He scored a major win with the girls when he came back with a huge styrofoam box full from the Schnitzelnax. We actually had to send him back for a second serving! We stopped in the grocery store on our way through the train station for chocolate and almost missed the train again!

It was late when we got back into Vienna, so we decided to go back to the Pizzaria Restorante mia Cucina across from our hotel. They were happy to see us again and wanted us to take their wine glasses home as a souvenir. We thanked them and took them back to our room that night, but left them outside the restaurant the next morning.

We made very good connections on the subway and train back to the airport so we arrived extremely early (as usual) for our flight. Since Vienna is a new city for Delta, we played our part in training the staff in the handling of non-revs. They did an excellent job and had us checked in with a couple of hours to spare before the flight. The security for our gate was not open when we approached and there was no place to sit, so we found a table at the Cafe Bistro Johann Straus. The only available table was in the smoking section. It seems so odd now to see smoking in an airport. As soon as we spied a family leaving a non-smoking table, we sent Tony over to lay claim. Another man beat us to it but he offered to share. He was from Montenegro but had spent 30 years in Australia. After we sat down, we noticed that the man at the next table was sweating so profusely that his shirt was drenched. We joked that we were going to catch something from him.

Biking from Vienna to Budapest

2008-01-07T07:07:00.000-08:00

"Lessons Learned"

Let me apologize in advance for the length of this travelogue! Seven days is a particularly long trip for us and Austria, Slovakia and Hungary seemed to warrant a lot of description!

Time was ripe for another adventure trip. This one was to be a bicycle trip from Vienna to Budapest. Tony spent over $100 on maps and guide books which turned out to be good investments on two fronts. One; internet shopping makes Tony so very happy, and two; the map and guide books proved to be pretty useful. The two essential purchases were “The Danube Cycle Way”, by John Higginson and Volume 3 of the Cycling Guide to the Danube Bike Trail (Part 3: Slovakian and Hungarian Danube From Vienna to Budapest. It is hard to find in English, but is available from OmniMaps).

Tony prepared for the trip by bringing our antiquated stationary bike up from the basement and sitting on it while he watched TV for a couple of weeks preceding the trip. I decided to hope that my boot camp and hard core exercise classes would carry me through.

The group jelled at four. The dates fluctuated a bit, finally becoming a Friday to Friday outing, longer than many of our trips, but since our route would take us around 200 miles, we might need the extra time.

We followed our own packing guidelines, being very strict about what we allowed ourselves to carry. My backpack weighed 19 pounds and held only essential toiletries and quick dry nylon clothing. Tony’s pack was slightly heavier because of the technology he carries (GPS, Internet Tablet, Battery Charger, etc.) At the last minute, we threw in some battery operated fans because it was uncharacteristically hot in Eastern Europe and very few of the hotels have air conditioning.

Business Class on the newly reconfigured 767 was wonderful. They've even started handing out noise canceling headphones now. How did we ever live without these?

I chuckled as I watched “Wild Hogs”, thinking of my boss who was riding across country on his “Hawg” at the time. We got a decent night’s sleep and felt ready to roll when we hit the ground in Vienna. Unfamiliar with both Slovakia and Hungary, we decided that we should go ahead and change a small amount of Euros into Forints at the airport to tide us over until we could find an ATM in Hungary.

Of course, we stopped at the airport grocery store for some sports water bottles (and some quintessential Diet Cokes) before boarding the train (~$60 for four) to Vienna. Thinking ahead, we remembered to buy the ticket that included a transfer to the metro that would take us to the bike shop.

The bike shop (Pedal Power) was easy to find, and on the way I got to see the giant Ferris wheel that we missed when we were in Vienna last month.

The bike rental was €90 per bike plus a €35 fee to drop them off in Budapest. Although the €35 fee per bike seemed high, it was cheaper than each of us taking the train back to Vienna to return the bikes and fly home out of VIE. We were required to pay cash when we picked them up and an imprint of our credit card was taken as a security deposit.

The proprietor raised his eyebrows when he saw our backpacks. We had told him that we would not need panniers. We had tried panniers on a previous trip and while they were handy on the bicycle, they were completely unwieldy for carrying without a bicycle.

He was intrigued by Tony’s latest invention which, when attached to the rack on the back of the bike provided excellent stabilization for the backpacks. “What do you call that?”, he asked. “A cutting board”, came our answer. “Ah”, he exclaimed, “from Wal-Mart.” We used cable-ties to connect the cutting boards to the bicycles and then strapped our backpacks on. The invention turned out to be incredible! On previous trips, the backpacks were precariously balanced on the narrow bicycle rack and frequently shifted and needed to be readjusted. Not so, on this trip. Once strapped on, even if the bicycles fell over (which they occasionally did), the backpacks stayed put!

We got instructions on how to get to the bicycle path then asked if there were any special landmarks we needed to look for where we might get confused. “Oh no”, came the answer, “you can’t possibly get lost. It is like a tunnel from here to Bratislava.”

We followed the directions, crossing the bridge and immediately losing our way; so much for the tunnel. We all commented on how unstable our bicycles seemed to be. There was a tremendous cross-wind, nearly knocking us off of our bicycles. We finally figured out that the wind, combined with the huge advertising disks woven into the front spokes of our bicycles, was causing the instability. Things returned to normal as soon as we took out the disks.

Our ride started along the river for about two miles, and we opted to stop at the first opportunity for refreshment at the Vienna City Beach Club.

Just beyond the beach club, we rode through a large nude sunbathing area. The Austrians are very comfortable with their nudity. There was a naked man standing in the middle of the bike path and another one standing in line at a concession stand. These weren’t young buff looking fellows, mind you. They were old and fat and wrinkled (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

Just after the “nekkid” people, we came upon a detour. Hmm… tunnel to Bratislava, you say? You can’t get lost, you say? Tony asked a man at the detour if he spoke English. He answered no, so Tony gestured to the detour sign and pointed at the bicycle. The man said, in plain English, “The bicycle path is that way.”

There was entertainment at the next bridge we came to; an area for skiers and wake boarders, with a Ski Rixen and a giant sliding board. We watched a jump before cycling on.

We stopped for a short break at the Gasthaus Binder in Orth.

Back on the trail, we pedaled hard for Bad Deutsch-Altenburg where we planned to spend the first night. It was a fairly boring ride, atop a high bank with forest on both sides. Finally, we crossed a huge scary bridge and entered Bad Deutsch-Altenburg.

We were a little worried because several of the websites that we had visited had warned that accommodations might be difficult to find during high season. We stopped at the first pension we saw, the ParkPension Bichler to inquire about a room. No one answered the door, but another guest tried to phone the owner for us. He spoke no English but was intent on helping us. He indicated that we should wait in the garden for what we think he said would be 20 minutes. Tony and I sat where he wanted us to while the others rode into town with a walkie-talkie to look for other accommodations. They soon radioed back that they had found rooms at the Fremdenzimmer Weinbau Madle for €25 per person. We continued on Badgasse Street (a name that made us giggle) to the Haus Madle. Hot and sticky from the ride, we took a quick shower and then struck out in search of food.

We found the Gasthof Stöckl, a 300 year old hotel and restaurant with lots of personality. If we had found it first, we might have stayed here.

We were surprised that almost all of the restaurants on our route had menus translated into both English and German, but we discovered that one must be careful about trusting the English translation. The Hungarian word for “greasy, deep fried” must translate into “baked”. Needless to say, our health-nut was not overwhelmed with her meal tonight. We had an entertaining conversation with the owner who spoke English and had traveled to the United States several times. She introduced us to another employee who spoke three languages, Hungarian, Slovakian and German. She was holding a small plate with some food on it. She was able to communicate that it was cat food by using the international “Meow” sound.

After dinner, the group wandered back to our hotel and finished the evening over a glass of delicious Austrian red wine. We were in bed by midnight, tired from our 32 mile ride. Not bad for arrival day.

Breakfast was hard rolls with butter, cheese, salami, jelly, liver spread and coffee.

As I was preparing my coffee, I realized that during yesterday’s ride, I had lost my little survival pack that I keep in my purse that contains my Sweet-n-Low and my McDonald’s salt! I knew just when I had lost it. It was when I pulled my camera out of my fanny pack to take a picture while we were riding. I made a note to keep the camera in my handle bar bag after that. I had to make do with real sugar in my coffee for the rest of the trip (yuck).

Our route out of Bad Deutsch-Altenburg was downhill for several miles through beautiful countryside. There was field after field of sunflowers, with the occasional wheat or cornfield (the guide book called it maize but we knew it was corn) mixed in.

The path paralleled the railroad tracks for a short while before reaching the Slovakian border. Since we didn’t plan to spend the night in Slovakia, we changed just €20 into Slovakian Korunas at the border.

We had some refreshments at the little restaurant at the border, but if we do it again, we will wait until we get a few more miles down the road to a more scenic area to stop for refreshments.

Our guidebook instructed that this part of the ride would be through the wasteland along the Danube (Dunaj in Slovakian). We never saw anything we would consider wasteland, in fact, this was one of the prettier parts of the ride.

We skirted Bratislava and kept riding toward Hungary and our targeted town for the night, Mosonmagyaróvár. We stopped for beer and Hranolky (French fries) at a little trail-side hut and again in Cunovo for lunch at the Pizzeria U Mareka.

We spent the rest of our Korunas so we were ready to get back into Hungary where we had some money! (Twelve beers, 2 orders of fries and a cheese pizza for €20; Slovakia is a bargain!)

At the border we got our first Hungarian stamp in our passport. Just inside the country, we stopped at an ATM and took the opportunity to apply more sunscreen.

Several of the small towns we cycled through had this friendly policeman posted at the edge of town warning travelers to slow down. We had fun with our new friend, but just couldn’t coax a smile out of him.

We took one last break in Feketeerdo, practicing our Hungarian toast, Egészségedre (EH-gehs-sheh-geh-dreh) before arriving in Mosonmagyaróvár. We rode down the bumpy walking street looking for accommodations and finally struck gold when we found the 4 star Hotel Lajta Park.

It appeared to be still under construction, so even though their price sheet showed €73 for a double room, they offered us a discount room rate of €55 without our even having to ask. High season, schmigh season... Payment in Hungary was very confusing because prices were often quoted in Euro, but charged in Forints. We had a large suite and the hotel offered a number of reasonably priced services like massages and manicures. I wish we could have stayed there for several days! As before, we took a quick shower and then went to the restaurant Borclub which had been recommended by the hotel. (Bor means Wine in Hungarian).

We had read in Rick Steve’s guidebook that clinking your beer glass is a no-no in Hungary. Clinking wine glasses is acceptable if you make meaningful eye contact as you toast. We made meaningful eye contact as we sampled the wine, Goulaschsuppe, Gnocchi and Spaghetti. All was delicious. The restaurant was next to the beautiful Szent Gotthárd Parish Church on Szent Lásló Square.

Today was a 42 mile day. Not bad for a bunch of old far… uh, folks.

I got up early the next morning to hit the grocery store to get a fix for my Diet Coke addicted friends. Bad news; this was a Pepsi town. They graciously pretended to drink their Diet Pepsi’s, but I knew they weren’t happy.

Over the elaborate breakfast buffet, our travel companions “broke” the news that somehow the glass table in their room had gotten “broken” the night before. When we settled the bill for the rooms, the charge for the broken table was 3000 Forints (~$17).

When we retrieved our bikes from the hotel’s basement garage, Tony’s helmet was mysteriously missing its cover. We were pretty sure we would have noticed it missing since the helmet had been bright white and was now a dull charcoal color. Tony wanted to ditch the defective helmet but I wouldn’t allow it, having dealt with one too many head injuries already in this lifetime. We rode through Halászi, stopping to admire another field of sunflowers.

We passed through Puski and Dunaremete and took a break at a cute little pub in Lipót.

Back on the road, we clicked off the kilometers through Hédervár, Ásványráró, Dunaszeg, Gyorladamer, Gyorzamoly, and Gyorujfalu before reaching Gyor - a 26 mile morning. Quite a feat before lunch!

Lunch was at the Kreszia Ház Étterem Restaurant where we ran into a couple from Canada that we had seen in Mosonmagyaróvár the night before. They were on an organized tour and would be spending the night in Gyor. We had Gulaschsuppe, Pommes Frites and Tomato and Mozzerella salad. The Montreal people said they had stayed at the Panorama Hotel in Mosonmagyaróvár. They said dinner was included in their hotel, but it was the cook’s night off, so he had brought a home cooked meal from his home for them.

Our guidebook warned that the exit from Gyor could be very tricky. It advised to get a map from the Tourist Information bureau and ask them to mark the way out of town. We never saw the TI, but we had a map, so we figured we would be okay. Not so! I took a picture of Tony leaving the restaurant and another of the “Leaving Gyor” sign. The time stamps on the pictures were almost exactly an hour and a half apart.

Once out of Gyor, the route loosely followed our instructions, but we weren’t entirely sure we were on the right path, so we stopped at the first Arany Ászok sign to ask for directions. We think we were in Gyorszentivan.
A very nice man with a cute little girl drew us a map that got us to the railroad. We passed a horse and buggy on our way out of Gyorszentivan.
My knee, which had been a little cranky up until now, started to hurt in earnest, making it difficult to pedal. It was very slow going, as I was only able to apply pressure with my left leg and I couldn’t pedal standing up any more. This was a problem since my rear was hurting from sitting on the bicycle seat. I couldn’t stand and I couldn’t sit. We passed through Nagyhegy, Gyorgyhaza, Szolohegy and Bonyretalap before taking a soft drink break in Bana. Bábolna, our destination for the night was a bit of a disappointment. When we rolled into town, we saw only one hotel and one restaurant. My knee was throbbing, so I found a park bench and “parked” myself while the others went out in search of accommodations.

Just beyond the round about, the girls found the Imperial Hotel which was on the property of a Stud Farm (the horse kind). The hotel was 7700 Forints per room (~$42). We thought it was supposed to include breakfast, but apparently we misunderstood because we had to pay separately for breakfast the next morning. Breakfast for the four of us was 4500 Forints (~$25). We were buzzed through the imposing front doors with our bicycles into the garden where we found the hotel in the center of the property surrounded by stables full of horses.

The rooms were pretty basic and really HOT. The hotel seemed to be practically empty. We only saw one other family. High season, you say?

We were just getting cleaned up when the girls knocked at our door to say that they thought the only restaurant in town closed in a half hour. We hurried down to the desk. Most people in Hungary seem to speak German, so Tony asked the lady at the desk, “Wo ist gut essen?” She pointed across the street.

We went in the restaurant across the street, but it was deserted. We called out but got no response. We even went into the kitchen, but couldn’t locate anyone. It was clean and deserted. We were starting to think we would have to go to bed without supper, but we walked back into town and to our relief, found a little Italian restaurant (Gustaiolo Étterem) that was open.

The waitress spoke no English and very little German, but we were able to communicate our order. We dined on the patio until a storm drove us inside. We stayed until the rain subsided and then walked back to our hotel. The rain cooled things off significantly and I was wishing I had worn a jacket. That night, we had a nightcap in the hotel and then retired to our rooms. I woke myself (and Tony) up in the middle of the night screaming, imagining that a large man was in our room, standing over my bed. What I had imagined to be a large man was really a big wooden chest. It had been a 50 mile day on the bikes. Maybe that is what I was really screaming about.

It rained all night and was very cool when we went out for breakfast. We went back to the same restaurant where we had tried to go for dinner the night before. Three of us ordered cheese plates and ended up with about 2 pounds of cheese. We wrapped it up to take with us in case we needed a snack later.

We explored the stud farm a little and learned about Shagya, the grandfather of this Arabian horse breed.

We had targeted Esztergom (we called it Estrogen) as our destination for the night. Studying the map showed us that we had several choices. We could either cross the river into Slovakia and ride on flat roads with a lot of traffic and no bike paths, or we could stay on the Hungary side and take a longer, less traffic route that was very hilly. Or (and this is the option we chose) we could take a short ride to Komárom where we could catch a train to Esztergom, maybe even getting there in time to do some sightseeing and shopping. The train turned out to be a good choice, since it was a bit of a rainy day.

As we left Bábolna, we took a detour by the foal farm to see the adorable foals frolicking in the pasture.

We cycled the short distance to Ács and then stopped at the Garas Kocsma for a beverage. I commented to the other girls that I might not have used the restroom here if they had not been here. There was a large locking mechanism on the OUTSIDE of the ladies’ room, making me a bit frightened of getting locked inside.
As we were passing through Ács, we received directions from several different people, wanting us to make a left turn to get to the main road. Their directions did not agree with our map, so we kept following our map. Each person that we passed, pointed us back to the turn, but we kept riding. We were really glad that we had the Danube Cycle Way book because it described the route perfectly. “The town straggles along the road for some distance but where the houses finish the road surface turns to compacted soil (or mud, depending on the weather) and sets off across farmland. For several kilometres now cycling is difficult, with deep ruts and overhanging branches to contend with…”

We didn’t find the going to be so difficult, but the baying of what sounded like a large number of hounds was a little bit disconcerting. There were a number of giant escargots on the trail as well. We tried to avoid crunching our tires on the little houses they carried on their backs.

Before long, we emerged on tarmac and made our way on the country lane to Komárom.

The Tourist Information office was closed, so we opted for lunch at Vasmacska Étterem across the street. We had Chicken Paprika, Gulaschsuppe, Cheese Kroquetten and an interesting Chicken/Peach/Cheese dish.

While the others finished up, I bravely went across the street and attempted to get a train schedule from the lady at the Tourist Information office who spoke very little English. I tried saying “Choo choo” and gesturing and finally got the needed information. Unfortunately it would be a couple of hours before the next train so we would not arrive as early as we had hoped.

We made our way to the train station, bought our tickets (900 Forints [~$5] each for us and 225 Forints [~$1.25] each for our bikes) and settled in to wait.

Tony went to the restroom and quickly came back, telling us that a man had followed him inside, wanting to have sex with him. After being told no, the man still reached for Tony’s privates. The next time he went back, one of the girls stood guard outside the door. We all went to the bathroom in pairs after that. I had my trusty deck of cards to pass the time.

We took our backpacks off of the bikes to make sure that we could get them on and off of the train quickly and easily.

It was a very slow train ride, stopping in Szony, Almafuzito-Felso, Almafuzito, Dunaalmás, Neszmély, Sütto, Piszke, Lábatlan, Eternitgyar, Nyergesújfalu, Tat, Tokod, Esztergom- Kertváros and two unnamed stops before arriving in Esztergom, only about 34 miles.

Tony helped get all of the bicycles off of the train and onto the narrow platform. My bike was in the back. As I was about to push my bike away, I noticed Tony’s helmet on the train, so I put the kickstand down on my bike and jumped back on the train to get the helmet. Just after I had boarded the train, I heard a clatter as my bike fell over – under the train. The others turned around to see what the clatter was about and saw only the wheels of my bicycle sticking out from under the train. They thought I had fallen under the train. I got off of the train with Tony’s helmet and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

For lodging, we took the recommendation of one of the guided bike tour itineraries we had printed. We found the Alabárdos Panzió by following the tourist map just outside of the train station. We were greeted by Gigolo (or Cheekalo – we weren’t exactly sure what they were saying), a HUGE very FRIENDLY dog. We think he was a Caucasian Ovtcharka.

The owner spoke only a few words of English, but we were able to negotiate an apartment for the four of us for 20000 Forints (~$112). We think we understood that other than the apartment, the hotel was full. Maybe this is high season after all. We decided to skip breakfast the next day since it was not included in the rate and we still had the cheese from the day before.

The apartment was amazing! There were two upstairs bedrooms with a view of the Basilica and a full bath with tub, shower and a washing machine. Halfway down the steps built into the side of the hill was a strange stone room with a half bath.

Downstairs was a full kitchen with a refrigerator so cold that it slushed the drinks we put in it! There was a sitting area with a TV and an area outside where we could lock our bikes.
We were tired and dirty again. (Even with the train ride, we still did 17 miles on the bikes.) But after freshening up again, we hurried out to do some sightseeing.
Dinner was at the Mély Tányér, around the corner from our apartment.

We had the best dish of the trip here; the Hortobágyi Palacsinta, a crepe filled with ground *veal and swimming in a paprika cream sauce. *Another translation problem here. The English translation on the menu lists this ingredient as “vegal ragout”, leading us to believe it was a vegetarian dish.

Back at the apartment, we took some pictures in the curious stone room, and then retired to the den area for a glass of wine. The Basilica looked very pretty out our bedroom window.

We had taken bread from the restaurant the night before, so we breakfasted on cheese toast and slushy Diet Cokes. After saying our goodbyes to Gigolo, we bicycled out of town along the river, past the Basilica.

The guide book gave an option for a shorter route that required climbing (we don’t like that word) out of Esztergom. We chose, instead to stay along the river to Bubanatvolgy and then follow the road toward Pilismarót, peeling off at the left turn to the ferry dock.

At the ferry dock, we encountered a couple from Switzerland who were biking a route similar to ours. We exchanged stories about our trips. The wife spoke very good English, but the husband not so much. He had taken a pretty bad fall the day before.

The ferry was 320 Forints ($1.80) for each person and 320 Forints ($1.80) for each bicycle. Someone comes around to collect the payment on the ferry.

Thinking that the river was the dividing line between Hungary and Slovakia, once we crossed over to Szob, we decided we needed to get some more Slovakian Korunas. We found a bank in town with an ATM outside but when we tried the ATM machine, it seemed to be dispensing only Hungarian Forints. We went into the bank, but they sent us back to the ATM. We thought maybe the display was in Forints but it would actually dispense Korunas, so we tried withdrawing 5000 Forints. We got Forints. Frustrated, we rode away and stopped a few hundred yards later at the Popeye Restaurant. Here we studied our map and realized that the river had stopped being the country divider just before the ferry so we were actually in Hungary! Happily, we enjoyed some refreshments, knowing that we could pay for them.

It was a beautiful ride along the river to Nagymaros and we arrived just in time to see the Swiss couple on the ferry to Visegrád (they didn’t see us).

Since we’d stopped here, we enjoyed a leisurely lunch at Maros Étterem. The HUGE veggie pizza had maize on it. For future reference, one pizza is plenty for two or three people. I had a wonderful Greek chicken salad.

The bike path continued along the river, so we decided to follow along rather than taking the ferry to Visegrad. It was a beautiful day and a gorgeous ride.

We rode on to Vác before taking the ferry across to Tahitótfalu on the island of Szentendrei Sziget in the middle of the river. This ferry was 380 Forints (~$2.15) for each person and 380 Forints (~$2.15) for each bike. Our bicycles had started to groan a bit so Tony managed to talk the ferry boat operator out of some oil. I was skeptical that he would be able to communicate “oil” in Hungarian and thought that I had been proven right when I saw the man approaching with a screwdriver, but he used the screwdriver to apply the oil.

The people on the island seemed somewhat less friendly than some of the other areas. We stopped for refreshments at Napsugár Sörözo but didn’t feel particularly welcome.

My knee was hurting again so Tony hung back with me while the others rode ahead. We agreed to meet at the next ferry dock. As we approached Szigetmonostor, I thought I could see the girls ahead of us but we couldn’t raise them on the walkie-talkies so we made the turn to the ferry dock. When they weren’t at the ferry dock, we tried to contact them again; still no response. As a last resort, we used our cell phone to contact them. They had missed the turn and bumped through the town on the cobblestone streets causing the jostling to turn the volume down on the walkie-talkie. Tony rode back up to the turn off and led them back to the ferry.

I took advantage of the waiting time to study our Rick Steve’s guide for accommodations in the next town. The cost of this ferry was 200 Forints (~$1.15) for each person and 200 Forints (~$1.15) for each bike. The ferry took us from Szigetmonostor to Pismany and then it was a short ride to Szentendre where I immediately spotted Rick’s two recommendations. We chose the Corner Panzió mainly because of Rick’s description of the rooms as “six cozy, woody rooms”. They just happened to have two rooms left! I guess we got lucky - high season here could have been a problem. The price was €40 per room (we actually paid in Euro this time because we didn’t have enough Forints left). The rooms had air conditioners but they seemed to be on a timer and didn’t run long enough to get the rooms very cool. There was only one remote control for the air conditioners that was kept on the bookcase in the common area.

At the hotel, we met a dentist from New York who was traveling with her son for three weeks. Her husband and other son had spent the previous two weeks with them, but she said that her husband always goes home after two weeks. She said that even on their honeymoon he went home after two weeks and she stayed by herself.

We had dinner at Új Muvész where we tried their version of Hortobágyi Palacsinta. It was good, but different. The crepe was filled with something that was the consistency of stew. The 10% tip was included on our bill, something we had not encountered in the smaller, less touristy towns.

We wandered around after dinner and who should we find but the Swiss couple again! The husband said something to his wife and she translated that he did not recognize us because we had changed clothes.

Back at our hotel, we shared a glass of wine and some travel stories with the New York dentist and her son before retiring for the evening. Including our walk around town, it was a 36 mile day for us.

We agreed to meet early the next morning to ride the short distance to the train station (we wanted to catch an early train so we could get to Budapest in time to do some sightseeing.) We had been told by numerous people that it was not advisable to try to ride our bicycles into Budapest. The train station was just a few miles out of Szentendre along a stream where a painter had set up his easel.

We got a few more Forints from the ATM at the train station. Our train tickets cost 480 Forints (~$2.70) for each person and 230 Forints (~$1.25) for each bike. There was a bicycle painted on the train platform. When the train pulled up, the door where the painted bicycle was had a wide opening so we decided it would not be necessary to take the backpacks off of the bicycles. I put my bike on the train and then turned around to help the others. I wasn’t much help since my bike fell over behind me causing me to trip and fall. We finally got the bikes loaded and settled into our seats. There was a sign showing that the bicycle car would only allow 4 bikes. Something to keep in mind for future trips when our group might be larger.

We were riding to the end of the line, so we knew we would have plenty of time to unload the bikes. Once off of the train, we noted that there was no bike ramp out of the station. There were only two options. Carry the bikes up the stairs or ride up the escalator with them. We chose the escalator. Tony went up first, followed by one of the girls. I waited until they were almost to the top and then stepped on, holding the bicycle brakes. The backpack made the back of the bike so heavy that I couldn’t keep it from rolling backward, taking me with it. I’m not sure exactly what happened, but I think the front wheel turned and came off of the ground, knocking me down. It seemed like I tumbled forever, in slow motion. Somehow the bike got on top of me. I could hear one of the girls screaming, “OH MY GOD!” and I thought I must be dying. Finally a little Hungarian man pressed the emergency stop button and leapt over the handrail. He lifted the bike up enough for me to get out from under it. By then, Tony had made it back down and helped me get up the steps. We were all pretty shaken up by the experience and I had a few battle scars but was not hurt badly. I thanked my Hungarian Hero and we went on our way.

The first thing we saw was the impressive Parliament building.

Next, we passed a beautiful church.

Just across the chain bridge, we spotted our refuge for the night, the Intercontinental Hotel. It was a bit of a splurge for us, but was worth it after riding bikes all week. This was the only hotel reservation we had for the entire trip - we decided that it would be nice to have a "known" for the last night of this adventure.

Each room had a wonderful view overlooking the Danube.

We dropped our bags and took the bikes to the Yellow Zebra to turn them in. The Yellow Zebra and Pedal Power have reciprocal agreements so that you can rent from one and return to the other (for an additional fee). The Yellow Zebra recommended a nice restaurant for lunch, the Belvárosi Lugas Étterem. I had roasted vegetables and grilled cheese.

There was a beautiful church across the street from the restaurant.

We stopped in to take a look at the lobby of the Opera and then went to the House of Terror, a museum showing the horrendous treatment by the Nazis and later, the Communists.

Afterwards, we walked down to Heroes Square where there were statues of Hungary’s historic figures.

While we were gawking at the statues we were approached by a local television crew and asked about our opinion of the public restrooms in Budapest. They were disappointed when we answered that we had not tried them.

Next, we took the Metro back to the river. The same tickets work for the Metro, trams and buses. At the Metro station you can buy a variety of ticket types. A single ticket is 230 Forints (~$1.25). A short ride of 3 stops or less on the Metro is slightly cheaper, and a ticket that includes a transfer is slightly more expensive. Unlimited ride tickets are available at the main Metro stops. The Metro stations were very fancy, decorated with tile, oak and brass.

It started to rain so we found a place to sit under an umbrella at Habana Cafe Grill and enjoy a glass of wine when who should happen by but our friends, the Swiss couple! They commented that it really IS a small world.

Tony stayed in Pest with one of the girls while the other two of us went over to Buda to look around. We took the funicular up to Castle Hill. The views from the hill were spectacular. We bought the 1300 Forint (~$7) round trip, but if we did it again, we agreed that we would just buy one way and walk back down.

We didn't make it up the hill in time to go into the church, but there was lots to see on top of the hill.

Dublin, Ireland

2008-01-07T07:02:00.000-08:00

"Little Ducks All In A Row"

Our friend Sue was having a "significant" birthday - she was about to reach an age that ends in zero! She wanted to celebrate on a trip with friends. Her main criteria was that it be a destination near water. Her birthday was to fall on Labor Day which would make stand-by travel a challenge. To make things even more difficult, the group of nine would be traveling on several different standby priorities. There were five active employees, two retirees and two buddy passers.

The group of friends was easier to identify than the destination. At first, it looked like Germany, with Frankfurt and Munich flights looking favorable. Maybe we could visit our friend Thomas in Tegernsee. Later, it started looking like Italy would be the destination. We would fly to Milan and take a train to Lake Como. The day before we were to leave, everything fell apart except Dublin, which was far from a sure thing. Stand-by travel on a holiday weekend is even more of an adventure than normal stand-by travel! Some of our travel companions decided they weren't up for the adventure, so the group dropped to just six, four active employees and two retirees. On the standby list, we were all together, "little ducks all in a row".

We headed for the airport early so we could take advantage of our newly acquired Crown Room membership! What a lovely place to wait for a flight. It takes some of the stress out of standing by, especially with a computer and wireless internet access. The free beverages don't hurt either. We made friends with some other stand-by travelers for our flight and were able to share information.

One of the crown room agents admired my travel shirt and wanted a picture to show her friends, so here it is.

The flight was looking pretty tight until a thunderstorm came up and delayed some inbound connections. Even our new friends who were at the bottom of the stand-by list got "good" seats on the flight.

I was thrilled to see that the flight attendants were my two golfing buddies, Sally and Nancy.

In Dublin, we were the first ones in line at Passport Control, "little ducks all in a row". It was Karla's first time to set foot on Irish soil, after many, many foiled stand-by attempts.

After obtaining some Euros at the currently less than favorable exchange rate, we purchased bus tickets to Malahide (€1.80 each) and went out to the bus stop to wait for the 10:30AM bus. At ten minutes until eleven, a uniformed bus service employee came to the bus stop to tell us that the bus had been delayed by construction in Swords. He said it would be at least 40 minutes before the bus came, if it got there at all. We went back to the counter and were told that the bus would definitely be arriving because they had received a cell phone call from one of the passengers. Of couse, we took this opportunity to "duck" into the airport pub for a pint while we waited. We had no sooner received our libations than the bus pulled up outside, so one hasty swallow was all we enjoyed before boarding the bus.

We went upstairs to the top of the bus so we would have a good view on the ride. It is a much rougher ride up top and some of our car-sick-prone friends started feeling a little queasy. We also hit a few low hanging tree limbs that were rather startling.

Malahide was in bloom! It did not seem like Ireland to see the sun shining and flowers everywhere. We are accustomed to traveling to Ireland in the winter when it is dark and gloomy and wet.

We struck out in search of accomodations for the night. The B&B where Tony and I had stayed before had become a restaurant. We stopped into the fancy schmancy hotel, knowing that it would be out of our price range, but figuring it was worth a shot. As suspected, we were out of our league, but they were very nice and provided us with a list of B&B's in the area.

We had Jill, our trusty GPS with us, so we let her lead us to the first two B&B's. Both were displaying "No Vacancy" signs. On our way to the third B&B, we came upon the Island View Hotel which also housed Oscar Taylor's Restaurant and Pete's Bar.

We settled into Pete's Bar for a pint and sent some of our party over to the Reception desk to check on rooms.

Bingo! They had three rooms for €100 each. A bit more than we had hoped to pay, but six weary travelers were happy to have a place to stow our bags. The three rooms were fairly comparable, except Tony and I had got a special surprise. Our room smelled of curry. At first, we thought it was the Air Freshener that was plugged into the electrical outlet, so we unplugged it and opened the windows. We later decided that the previous guest must have spilled their Indian take-out.

We dropped our bags and took the short stroll along the waterfront back to town for lunch.

James Gibney's had a nice outdoor area where we could enjoy the weather while we lunched on burgers and fish and chips.

After lunch, we went to the train station to check on the schedule for the DART train. We had decided to buy a 3 day pass on the train so we could explore some of the small towns around Dublin. From the train station, it was advertised to be a 15 minute walk to Malahide Castle. Either we took the wrong route or they used speed walkers to calculate the time.

The walk was worth the effort though. The castle and grounds were lovely.

The walk back didn't take nearly as long, but we were ready for a break when we got back to town. We stopped for a glass of wine at Botticelli. Karla, our resident Miss Fixit, showed us how to fix a misbehaving camera by dropping it from a height of precisely 4 inches. It was amazing. Before the "repair", the pictures from the camera were sort of bleeding. After the drop, the pictures were perfect! Karla claims an errant DVD player can be fixed using the same method.

We strolled around down a bit and almost stopped at the Hush Brasserie, but decided that we might not be welcome at a place named "Hush".

We wandered on down the block to the Coastal Cafe and Wine Bar. On the way we passed a Rental Car agency with this interesting sign in the window. We never smelled anything around the agency. I wonder if they were referring to the Curry smell in our hotel room.

We picked out a nice Italian Restaurant overlooking the harbour for dinner, but couldn't get a table, so we settled for Siam Thai. It was a bit pricey and loud, but the food was delicious.

We headed back to our hotel for a night cap, stopping off at the Spar to get some Diet Cokes for our addicts to have the next morning. We slept well and woke up strangely hungry for Indian food.

The full Irish Breakfast at the Island View was quite elaborate, including; in addition to the traditional bacon, sausage and eggs; mushrooms, tomatoes and potatoes.

We bought 3 day rail passes (€15.30 each) on the DART train and boarded the train for Greystones. Our B&B guide showed a place close by, so our "little ducks all in a row" struck out in search of it.

We found the house, but there was no sign. We knocked anyway and the new homeowner was quite surprised to see us. She had just bought the property 3 weeks prior and did not seem to be aware that it was listed in the 2007 Bord Failte B&B Guide.

We made our way back into town and stopped at Bochelli's to regroup. Jill (the GPS) showed two hotels in Greystones, so we sent scouts out to look for them. Neither of the locations were still in business as a hotel. Jill's database is a bit out of date.

We decided to get back on the train and head for Bray. It proved to be a lovely little seacoast town. The first hotel that looked promising had converted to an office building. They sent us down the coast road where there were several other defunct B&Bs and small hotels. We finally found a rooms at the Heather House Hotel.

Their regular rooms were all taken, but they had some apartments available. The cost (€50 each) was the same as the night before. Our apartments had a kitchen/den combination and a separate bedroom. There was even a washing machine where we did a load of laundry!

We had lunch at the hotel's restaurnt, The Martello, and then walked out to the rocky beach. Not somewhere you would want to walk barefoot!

We walked into town to see the river.

We stopped into a couple of traditional pubs with red velvet seats.

We saw the fanciest McDonald's building we'd ever seen.

Since we were having so much trouble finding accomodations, Tony and I decided to stop into an Internet Cafe and make some reservations for our last night in Dublin. We were able to reserve 3 rooms at the Temple Bar Hotel for €90 per room. We met the others back at our hotel for dinner at the upstairs restaurant overlooking the beach.

Back in our room, we watched a movie and enjoyed a night cap. A fellow who had partied too much couldn't find his room, so he made his bed on the floor in front of the girls' apartment. Tony called the front desk and they collected him and deposited him in his room which was one floor down.

We were surprised to see him at breakfast the next morning, looking a little sheepish.

After a beverage in the train station, we took the train to Killiney, following the signs from the train station to the village.

It was a steep uphill walk to the tiny village which consisted of a small store and one pub which was not open yet.

We trudged on toward Dalkey, stopping for a break at the fancy Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel.

It was just starting to sprinkle as we left the hotel and walked toward Dalkey. By the time we reached town, it started to rain in earnest. We ducked into Ivory for a pint and some french fries while we watched a soccer match on the biggest TV screen any of us had ever seen.

Dalkey was a cute little town, but there were no hotels or B&B's so we hopped back on the train and went to the larger port town of Dun Laoghaire. We hiked up to the top of town to a B&B where there was only one room available. We were directed to larger B&B that had 15 rooms available. The directions were sketchy and we were about to give up when we happened upon McCormacks pub. It was way past lunch time and we were hungry, tired and starting to get grouchy. This was just the break we needed.

After lunch, we sent Tony to look for the B&B which was closed and had a "For Sale" sign in the yard. It had started to rain, so the rest of us huddled under the awning of McCormacks while we waited. Thinking that our train pass was also valid on the bus, Tony flagged down a bus for a ride back to town. Our passes were not good for the bus, but the driver graciously said, "Get on, I'm not going to let you walk in the rain." I'm not sure he understood that we were all with Tony, but the "little ducks all in a row" boarded the bus and he just smiled. We offered to pay him for the ride, but he refused.

Sue and I dumped the bags and our friends at a pub, took a walkie-talkie and went out again in search of a place to stay. The first hotel we tried, the Royal Marine Hotel, was obviously out of our price range, but we thought we would ask anyway. We never got as far as finding out how much the rooms were though, because the lady in front of us had gotten the last room. We were pretty sure the next hotel we saw, The Kingston Hotel would be in our price range when we noticed the the "o" in "Hotel" was missing. Double rooms were €120, a little more than we wanted to spend, so we went with two triples at €140 each and got the price down to something acceptable.

The hotel was nice enough, with a garden out front and a pub downstairs. It was late by the time we decided to walk into town for dinner. We stopped at a Tapas restaurant and were told that they had stopped serving food at 9:00PM. The server said most restaurants close early on Sunday, so we hurried back to the hotel because we knew they didn't stop serving until 9:30PM. We got there just in time to order some soup. We augmented the soup with some left over pizza from the night before.

Tony and I went for a walk on the pier and then joined the others in the garden for a bottle of wine. We stayed up until after midnight so we could toast Sue's birthday.

We had breakfast at the hotel & then boarded the train for Dublin.

We got off at Tara Street and took the short walk to the Temple Bar Hotel. There was a bit of confusion over our reservation. The hotel had held 3 single rooms for us, but were able to switch us to 3 double rooms without a problem. Our rooms weren't ready yet so we checked our bags and set out to explore Dublin.

We walked through the Temple Bar district, which, as it turns out, refers to the Temple Sand Bar. The plot of land along the Liffey River that was owned by Sir William Temple and his family. Who knew?

We stopped in front of Oliver St. John Gogarty's pub and Tony was accosted by a woman wanting a swig of his Diet Coke. He gave her the entire bottle, but that didn't make her happy. She said, "I'm a vampire. I thought this was blood." Gogarty's was a traditional Irish pub. We hoisted a pint in honor of Sue's birthday.

After a pint, we wandered further down Temple street to Farrington's for lunch. We changed tables 3 times before we found one we were happy with. We toasted our good fortune and Sue's birthday.

After lunch, Tony headed back to the hotel for some "alone time" as he often does when he travels with his gaggle of women. The rest of us went for a walk. We walked along the Liffey River for a bit and then wound our way back down into the main part of town.

The Dublin castle was very impressive.

From there, we found our way to St. Patrick's Cathedral.

We came back by the Christ Church Cathedral which was no less impressive except that it was squeezed into a city block near a major thoroughfare with lots of traffic.

We found a sunny spot for a beverage at the Bull & Castle. We enjoyed the fabulous weather and clinked our glasses to cheer Sue on her birthday.

From the Bull & Castle, we radioed Tony to let him know we were headed for the Temple Bar. He agreed to meet us there. The weather was so nice, we wanted to sit in their Beer Garden, but it was over-crowded with smokers so we settled for a table in the back bar. It was dark and woody and full of people who seemed to be very happy on Sue's birthday. Karla tried her first Guinness in Ireland.

We spoted an advertisement for the Coole Swan and decided to come back later and have it as a special Sue's Birthday after dinner drink.

we made a brief stop at the hotel to collect our bags and freshen up before heading out for dinner. There were hawkers in front of every restaurant handing out menus. We selected Quay's Irish Restaurant because it had a varied menu and a nice wine list.

We raised a glass to Sue's birthday over dinner.

After dinner, the Coole Swan beckoned so our little ducks all in a row waddled back down to the Temple Bar.

Since it was our last night, we had to finish any liquids that we wouldn't be able to carry back in our luggage. We met in our room and toasted our last glasses of wine to Sue's birthday while she opened her birthday cards.

We met for breakfast the next morning at 7:00AM, thinking that would give us plenty of time. Breakfast was a bit disorganized and took longer than we expected, since a tour group of 46 people had also decided to eat at 7:00AM. We finally got away from the hotel around 8:30AM. We elected to take a cab instead of the public bus. The cab was €7 per person and the bus would have been €6.

We were all boarded in Business Class on the way home! We could have sworn that one of our flight attendants was Yanic Truesdale who played Lorelai's flamboyant French assistant, Michel, on the Gilmore Girls. Michel handed out our menus so we could make our choices for lunch. Anyone for the duck?

Wehrheim, Germany

2008-01-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

When friends asked us what we were going to do on our trip to Germany, we said we were going to a wedding. The next question was always, "Oh, whose?" The answer always brought some puzzled looks. "Our daughter's mother is getting married."

We thought the timing would be just right for us to combine the trip with a visit to Oktoberfest, but alas, once again it was not to be. We have tried to get to Oktoberfest numerous times but so far, either our schedules or flight availability has interfered. This time, the problem was mostly our schedules, but as it turned out, I don't think we would have been able to get on a flight to Munich anyway. The wedding was on a Tuesday near Frankfurt, so we planned to go to Munich Friday, spend a little time at Oktoberfest and then drive to Frankfurt. Wouldn't you know it, we got invited to 2 parties that wouldn't let us leave town until Sunday? We're just too popular!

Leaving Atlanta on Sunday, didn't give us enough time to get to Munich, so we flew to Frankfurt. The flight, in Business Class, was delightful, as usual.

We have to give SIXTI a thumbs up on the rental process. It was exactly as expected and very inexpensive. There was no hassle over insurance or additional drivers. The only caution we would give for renting from SIXTI is that their included mileage is VERY restrictive (100km/day), so if you are planning to do a lot of driving, you may be better off renting from a different company.

We were very happy with our little SMART for TWO with the exception of all of the decals. We were a rolling billboard for SIXTI! Ordinarily this would not have bothered me, but I was a little concerned that it might not be appropriate for a wedding.

Back at home, we took a short nap and then had some delicious Gulaschsuppe that a friend had sent over! We met the new step-siblings of our daughter, Steffi and Swen. Does that make them our step-children? Maybe. We are growing quite a German family. We have our daughter Carina, our younger older daughter Sandra (she's our youngest because we met her after Carina, but she is Carina's older sister), our son Thomas (Sandra's ex-boyfriend), our possible son-in-law Sinad (Sandra's current boyfriend), and lots of other "kin" of unidentifiable relationship.

Tuesday, the day of the wedding, we slept until 10AM! We're blaming the room-darkening shades. We weren't the last ones up though. Steffi had gone to Frankfurt the night before to party with the champion Women's Soccer Team and hadn't gotten home until the wee hours of the morning. We met for breakfast at the home of the Happy Couple, Christine and Bernd. They had been up since seven when Bernd had surprised Christine with a call from the local radio station. She was on the air for several minutes. This was not only her wedding day, but her birthday as well. They played the tape of the radio show for us, but of course, it was in German so we didn't understand it.

We wanted to get out of everyone's hair so they could get ready for the wedding, so we took our little SMART car back to Bad Hamburg for the afternoon. When we arrived, there were fruit, vegetable and meat markets set up all over the place.

We took a long walk through the town and then headed back to the same place we had been the day before. We were looking forward to another freshly baked pretzel, but this time, we got the "day old" version.

Carina wanted us to ride with her to the wedding, but Tony decided that we should drive separately in case we wanted to return home early. (This turned out to be a very good decision since we got home at 1AM and Carina didn't get home until 5AM).

We drove to Hessen Park for the wedding and helped unload the supplies. Christine's friend (the matron of honor) had her car loaded down with Champagne, Orange Juice and Pretzels. We loaded everything into a rickety wooden wagon and pulled it about a quarter of a mile down the cobblestone streets of Hessen Park to the little chapel. It took 2 trips to get everything delivered. I was glad I had listened to Tony's advice when he suggested I go with a pants outfit and comfortable shoes for the wedding!

The ceremony was in an old old building. Christine's dress was a beautiful quaint antique gown that went perfectly with the surroundings.
The couple was seated during the service while the woman presided read from a 5 page document (in German). Occasionally they would stop to sign something or speak. A few times, there was laughter. Tony and I didn't know why they were laughing, but we laughed politely too, hoping that was appropriate. Carina later told us that one of the times they were laughing was when they noticed that Christine had signed the paperwork with her old last name instead of her new one.

Carina's friend Katherine surprised the couple with a song from the balcony after the ceremony. She has the most beautiful angelic voice you ever heard, and to our delight, the song was in ENGLISH!

After the wedding, we all went out into the courtyard for a champagne toast. Tony and I helped open and pour the champagne. Every one stood around drinking champagne and chatting until it was time to leave for the reception.

We loaded up the wagon with all of the leftovers and headed back to the cars. our little SMART car in the procession between Sandra and Steffi. We drove, honking and waving, through the little town of Wehrheim on our way to the castle for the reception.

The reception was VERY fancy! There were 3 sets of musicians, an elaborate buffet dinner, two slide shows and dancing. We were seated at a table with some very nice people who spoke pretty good English. German people are always apologizing that their English is not very good, but I am always amazed that they can carry on a conversation. My German conversation is limited to ordering beer, finding accomodation, eating (basic foods) and toasting!

Christine and Bernd went to each table and introduced all of the (~100) guests. We couldn't understand what they were saying, but when they got to our table, we were introduced as Carina's "American Eltern". Everyone treated us like celebrities and seemed impressed that we had traveled so far just to attend the wedding.

After dinner and the slide shows, the dancing ensued. Following the couple's first dance, Bernd danced with Sandra and Cristine picked Tony to dance with! Dancing is not Tony's favorite activity, but after a little encouragement, he whirled her around the floor a few times. I thought it was very sweet of Christine to choose Tony for a dance!

The party was still going strong when we left, but we had an early flight the next day so we said our good-byes. It was still a short night.

Carina got up to say goodbye to us the next morning, promising to come and see us again very soon.

The flight, which had looked very good the night before, was looking pretty iffy when we got to the airport. It started to look like there would only be one Business Class seat available for the Morrises. We wanted to be prepared to answer the dreaded, "Would you like to sit together in coach, or split up?" question, so we decided to flip for the Business Class seat. I wanted to play "Rock, Paper, Scissors" but Tony thought flipping would be easier. He chose "tails" and wouldn't you know it? It was tails. The agent was surprised when we gave our answer almost before she asked the question. She laughed when Tony explained that we had flipped for it.

Coach wasn't so bad. I got an aisle seat and had a good book. Tony loaned me his new noise-cancelling headphones so I could barely hear the screaming baby in the row behind me!

It may be awhile before my next trip. I am trying to build up some vacation! I have made the statement that I am not going to take any vacation for the rest of October. Think I can stick to it?

The American Parents
BJ and Tony

Amsterdam, Netherlands

2008-01-07T06:57:00.000-08:00

"The Ark has Sailed"

We readied ourselves for our usual “Thanksgiving with kids” trip this year, counting on having other kids and parents with us, but as the date drew closer, we discovered that our usual companions would not be able to join us. Over the past few Thanksgivings, we had grown comfortable with our travel arrangements, counting on the other parents to make the rules. If they let their kids do something, Tony and I would let our charges do it too. This year, it seemed we would have to face these types of decisions on our own. The “kids” we would be traveling with; my sister’s youngest two; are now 17 and 20, so we didn’t expect to have too much trouble. We originally proposed flying to Zurich, taking a train to Konstanz and riding bicycles around Lake Konstanz. The girl child, Lauren, wasn’t very enthused about having to pack in only a small backpack and riding a bicycle for 3 days so we started looking for other alternatives. My sister had emailed me a story about a man who had built an Ark in the Netherlands. The story was intriguing. Johan Huibers has spent 10 years constructing a replica of the Ark in the bible. The Ark is said to be 1/5 the size of Noah’s Ark, but spectacular all the same. We decided to see the Ark for ourselves. The story my sister sent me said that the Ark was in Schagen, about 30 miles north of Amsterdam.

This is the first year we have felt like the kids are old enough to make their own way to the airport, so we advised them to drive to the North Springs Marta Station and take Marta to the airport. We were supposed to meet at 3:00PM, well before our 5:10PM departure. They were running late, after arguing about which one would drive to the Marta station, but made it there by 3:30PM. My biggest fears about the trip were allayed when I saw them, their luggage and most importantly, their passports. After we checked in, I took their passports so I could make sure we had them for the trip home.

At the security checkpoint, we discovered that the boy child, Jared had paid no attention to my instructions about his liquids, so we had to discard a brand new bottle of contact solution and two large tubes of toothpaste. We found a table in the Crowne Room and let the kids go shopping for toothpaste.

All four of us got “good seats” on the way to Amsterdam. We were seated in front of the kids. As we were getting settled in, we were offered champagne, orange juice or a mimosa. We took champagne and turned to see that the kids were enjoying what looked like a mimosa!

What should we do? Should we rat them out to the flight attendant? Should we take it away from them? Should we pretend we don’t know them? Where were the other parents to advise us? We chose to enjoy our meal and movie (I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry) and not turn around again to see where the flight attendant was taking that bottle of wine.

We slept well and awoke as we were landing in Amsterdam. I made sure to check the seat pockets and under the kids' seats to make sure they had all of their things. On previous trips, we have had to reboard the airplane to get items (like shoes!) one of them had left behind. I have tried to stress that we are not moving to the airplane so they don’t need to unpack yet! I found Jared’s Playstation Portable (PSP) in the seat pocket. Someone would have been very sad if we’d made it off the plane without that.

We breezed through passport control and went to the train ticket kiosk. It was a little confusing. We first selected four of the “5 day return” tickets, thinking that meant 1 round trip ticket returning within 5 days. As it turned out, that option was for 5 round trip tickets, so we canceled that transaction and stepped out of the way so that someone else could use the machine. The next attempt, we selected 4 one way tickets and chose credit card as the payment method. The machine asked for a pin but wouldn’t accept the pin for either of our credit cards. We canceled the transaction and stepped out of the way so that someone else could use the machine. The third attempt, we chose debit card as the payment method, but it said both of our debit cards were invalid. Before we canceled the transaction and stepped out of the way, I tried one last method. I chose credit card as the payment method, but presented my debit card instead. Bingo! We got our train tickets! €3,60 each ($5.30).

We took the train to the Centraal Station and walked across the street to the GVB office. We bought 72 hour tram passes for €13,50 each ($20.00). We boarded tram #4 for Rembrandtplein. I had booked our hotel through an online booking service, sight unseen. It is unusual for us to book a hotel in advance, but since we were traveling with children, I wanted to have all of the details worked out in advance. The Rembrandtplein Hotel was in our price range at €75/night ($110.00) per room. On our previous trip we had stayed near Rembrandtplein and knew that it was a nice locale with lots of restaurants and bars. I was pretty sure the Rembrandtplein Hotel wouldn’t be 5 stars and I was right, but it was adequate for our needs. It was VERY OLD.

We set out in search of some lunch. I had read that the falafels near Rembrandtplein were particularly good, so we found a falafel place just off the square. None of us knew what a falafel was, but we all ordered one. It turned out to be a pita pocket filled with little fried balls of chickpeas. It was interesting. The kids were good sports and ate theirs, even though I could tell it wasn’t their favorite food.

After lunch, we walked back toward Centraal Station and stopped off for refreshments at a smoky little place.
Then we set out to see one of the twenty one “must see” sights from the 2002 Let’s Go Amsterdam Guidebook. It was a fountain that was supposed to be in front of the Casa Rosso Theatre in the Red Light District. We knew we must be close to the Red Light District when we saw this museum.

The fountain was supposed to be shaped like a large, ahem, body part. As we approached the Red Light District, we started to see the tell-tale red lights above doors. We had been to the Red Light District on a previous trip, but I didn’t remember much about it. Tony commented that he would have been uncomfortable walking through the area WITHOUT his niece and nephew, but was especially uncomfortable now. We didn’t see the fountain in front of the theatre, so we ducked into an alley to see if it was around back. In the alley, we came face to face with numerous scantily clad women posing in windows. We had to come back up the same alley to get back to the street. I took the guidebook into the Casa Rosso to ask where the fountain was. The nice bouncer told me that the government had made them take the fountain down two years prior.

We heeded the warnings about taking pictures, but as we made our way out of the area, did sneak this photo of some cannibis plants growing in a window

As we walked along the canals, we noticed that many of the buildings were leaning. Some were leaning forward, others to the side. They looked like they might be on the verge of falling.

Amsterdam is the city of bicycles. And bicycles seem to always have the right of way. If you weren't careful you would be run over by one. There were hundreds of them parked outside of Centraal Station.

We dawdled over dinner and then headed back to the hotel. We reflected on our day over drinks at the hotel bar. The bar didn’t look like it got much use. The glasses and soda cans were sort of dusty.

We made the climb up the 4 flights of (very narrow, winding) steps to our room and said goodnight to the kids who climbed up one more flight to theirs. We ASSUME that they stayed in for the night.

We had planned to get up at 8:30AM Wednesday so we could catch a 10:00AM train to Rotterdam to see the Ark. I tried to use the phone to call the kids room, but all I got was a strange beeping noise, so I climbed up the steps and knocked on their door. They answered the door and seemed to be moving about, so I went back downstairs to get ready. After my shower, I climbed back up and knocked on the door again. They were in the same position where I had left them 20 minutes before. I got them moving and went back downstairs. Twenty minutes later, I went back upstairs and found that they still hadn’t made much progress. Back downstairs, Tony and I decided to revise our plans for the day. We would go to the train station and buy our tickets, but wait to travel until the next day. While we waited for the kids to get ready, I read the travel guide. I found a write-up on the little town of Gouda (pronounced How-da). Gouda, where they make the cheese of the same name, is between Amsterdam and Rotterdam so we decided to stop there on our way back from seeing the Ark.

The kids finally made it down to our room and we walked the few blocks to Rembrandtplein to catch the tram to Centraal Station. We went to the Service Center to buy our tickets. It was a little confusing, but once we understood that their system is just an elaborate “take a number” system, we got our number and got an agent. We were glad we had cash because they do not take credit or debit cards. Round trip tickets to Rotterdam with a stop in Gouda were €23,30 ($34.50) each.

The kids wanted to buy a pastry from the shop at the train station, but I had my heart set on one of the cheese pastries I had seen in a store window the day before. We passed several places that weren’t exactly what I was looking for. I was about to settle for something else when I spotted Kaasland across a crowded square on Haarlemmerstraat. In the window were several mouth watering cheese covered bread offerings. We selected some and they put them in the oven for us.

We were headed for the Heineken Experience. The last time we were in Amsterdam (1996), they were brewing beer at Heineken. Our 2002 guidebook said that it was more like an amusement park now and no brewing was done there. There was supposed to be a ride where you could pretend you were a bottle of beer going through the brewing process. We rounded the corner and saw the sign that said, “Closed for Renovation”. We were very sad.

We jumped on a tram to go back to the train station. We didn’t have a ticket so we had to buy one on board. The agent sold us a Nationale Strippen Kaart for €6,40 ($9.50), then he punched 4 of the 8 slots on the card. I think we could have taken 4 more rides on our card. Back at the train station, I insisted that we go to Tourist Information to see how much farther it was to Sliedrecht. It was only about 17 miles, but it would be another 40 minutes on the train and then 20 minutes on the bus to get there. I wanted to go for it, but I was outvoted.

At Tourist Information, when the agent looked to see where the Ark was, she went to the same website I had looked at before leaving Atlanta, but she followed the link for the Dutch language. Apparently IT was up to date with the latest information. The English side had not been updated.

The kids were hungry, so we decided to take the train back to Gouda for lunch. We almost missed the stop. There were no signs showing the name of the station. At first we didn’t get off the train, but then I turned on the GPS and saw that we were ½ mile from Gouda so we jumped off. We asked the ticket taker if this was the Gouda station. He said it was and commented that if the train had left on time, we would have missed our stop.

The first thing we saw when we walked into town was a store called the Arke. It was like we were being mocked!

We ASSUME that they stayed in for the night.

On Friday, we woke them up at 5:45AM and called them every 10 minutes to make sure they were ready to leave the hotel at 7:00AM. We had a 10AM flight so we needed to be at the airport by 8AM. We planned to purchase our train tickets at the kiosk, but when we got to Centraal Station we discovered that the ticket kiosks don’t take credit or debit cards. They don’t even take paper money, just coins. We had to hurry down to the Service Center to buy our tickets. They add a service charge at the Service Center, so the return trip cost €4,10 ($6.00).

Amsterdam airport is difficult to traverse. We arrived on schedule, 2 hours before our flight, and we were none too early. There was a long line to check in. By the time we got checked in, it was time to go through passport control. After passport control, we passed through the duty free shops. We didn’t take time to shop because our gate was so far away. The security screening was done at each gate, so once we got into the gate area, we were trapped.

The agents didn’t clear the standby passengers until the very last minute, so even though we knew there were enough seats, we were nervous that they would push back without us. We got our seats and hurried on board. We got “good seats” again! The flight was delayed by about a half hour because a cargo loader got stuck and had to be towed away.

I watched 3 ½ movies on the way home (Hairspray, License to Wed, Knocked Up and ½ of Mr. Bean’s Holiday) while Tony snoozed.

Back in Atlanta, we gave the kids back their passports, put them on Marta and went home to crash.

Aunt BJ and Uncle Tony

Coastal North Carolina

2008-01-07T06:51:00.000-08:00

"How does Pamlico Sound?"

We are still refining our requirements for retirement property. While leaving the Ireland option open, we decided to explore other alternatives. We thought coastal North Carolina should offer some nice views of water, but maybe not the extreme heat of Florida, and be less complicated than purchasing property in Ireland.

There are three airports near the NC coast that are serviced by Atlantic Southeast Airlines, the Delta Connection Carrier. Flights to all three looked pretty full for Saturday morning, so we reserved a car in all three places, planning to return from Wilmington on Sunday. The New Bern flight left first, so we stood by for it. We ran into a friend who was trying to get to Fayetteville, North Carolina to see her father for Father's day. The airport was teeming with soldiers flying to Fayetteville, so when we heard the gate agent asking passengers to give up their seats for the soldiers, we knew she would not get to Fayetteville. She decided to try for a Myrtle Beach flight, so she hurried off to another gate.

We stayed to see if we would get on the New Bern flight even though it looked extremely unlikely. Surprisingly, at the last minute, we were given boarding passes! I was given a window seat and right after I sat down, two customer service agents brought a lady in a wheelchair down the aisle and positioned her in the seat next to me. We began to talk and I asked her how she had been injured. She said that she was riding her bicycle one morning down her quiet street in Morehead City. Her mind was on the trip she was to take later that day to meet her family to distribute her mother's estate when she ran into the side-view mirror of a parked car and flipped over the handlebars of her bicycle. She said she knew right away that her neck was broken because she is a nurse who has worked with spinal cord injuries and has taught nursing in that discipline. The accident had occurred 3 years prior and she was just returning from a third round of intense therapy at Shepherd's Spinal Clinic. She had a small amount of use of her hands and arms, but was technically classified as a quadriplegic. It was very uplifting to see her positive attitude and great spirit. She said that she is sure she will walk again some day.

We talked about North Carolina as a place to live. She loves it and said that the people are really nice and supportive. She told me about when she came back from the hospital and there were purple and yellow bows up and down her street. When it was time to deplane, I sent Tony to rent the car since I couldn't easily get out of the seat. We continued to talk until the Customer Service Agents came to get her off of the plane. When it was time to say good-bye, we hugged and wished each other well.

Tony and I drove north in our bright red Chevrolet Aveo, targeting Washington and the Pamlico Sound area. We first started driving down every street that led toward the sound, but later revised our plan to only drive down streets that had real estate signs. Unfortunately everything we looked at was out of our price range. Houses were priced from around $500K to $900K and the lots we saw started at around $350K.

We drove down one street to see a couple of houses that were for sale. We stopped to write down some information and then turned around in an adjacent field where some boat trailers were parked. When we got back on the road, we saw a man approaching and gesturing. Thinking he wanted to talk to us about the houses that were for sale, we stopped and lowered the window. It was then that we found out that he was yelling obscenities and making rude gestures as he yelled at us for turning around on his property. Tony apologized, but that didn't make him happy either, he continued to yell and gesture so Tony apologized again, but he was still yelling and gesturing as we drove away. I thought about how different this was from the positive experience in Ireland when we had gotten into a bit of trouble with our rental car and four men stopped to help us get out of a ditch. I am trying not to let this one rude man color my opinion of living in North Carolina.

We continued to drive toward Rest Haven, planning to take the ferry across to Aurora. We arrived at the ferry dock at 3:30PM and the ferry had just left at 3:15PM. The next ferry was not scheduled until 5:00PM, so we decided to drive back around the mouth of the river and along the other shore to Aurora. We saw a number of houses for sale, but still none in our price range. The drive took us much longer than we had anticipated, so before we made it to Aurora, we decided we'd turn around and head for Wilmington.
Our hotel, the one star (a generous rating) Econo Lodge, had free wi-fi, so we made a quick check of the flight before going to bed. The 8AM flight was looking pretty tight, so we decided we'd better go for the 6AM. The room at the Econo Lodge was small and sparsely decorated but very clean and extremely convenient to the airport. It was missing one essential item though, a remote control for the TV.

We decided to skip the shower in the morning in favor of a few minutes more of shut-eye, so we got up at 4:30, and got to the airport in plenty of time for the 6AM flight. While we were waiting, the gate agent announced that the restroom on the plane was inoperative so everyone should use the facilities before we left.

We thought we were both going to get on, but at the last minute, a confirmed passenger on the 8AM flight decided to switch to the 6AM, so the gate agent asked us if we would split up. I had several stops to make at home, including the all-important Father's Day visit with dear old Dad, so I waved good-bye to Tony and boarded the plane. We had an uneventful flight home. With the restroom inoperative, I was surprised when the flight attendant served drinks and snacks, even offering the full can of soda instead of just a glass.

Tony made it out on the next flight but had to find his way home without the car since I was already in Athens making my rounds visiting a relative in the hospital and then on to Gainesville for lunch with my father.

Next time we have a free weekend, we're going back to take a look at the Neuse River region.

NEW YEAR'S EVE SPECIALS

2007-12-19T09:35:00.000-08:00

Stay from $24/night!
Book your bed now and you'll pay peanuts. NYC, London, Paris, L.A., San Francisco - where the party's at.

We've done the planning, now you go have the fun. It's New Year's Eve and you're gonna have a blast! Book your bed now.

Los Angeles from $24/night
L.A. has about a million things going on - especially at the clubs.

Les Deux
Area
LAX
Hyde Lounge
Epic All Access NYE at the Vanguard
Opera and Crimson NYE
Avalon Hollywood
Black and White Ball at Highlands
Renaissance Hollywood Hotel and Grand Ballroom: one of the huge parties in L.A.! This is at the Hollywood and Highland Entertainment Complex! Tickets are on sale now.

City Hostel Price*
Los Angeles USA Hostels Hollywood fr $24/night/pp
USA Hostels Hollywood is in the heart of Hollywood's Entertainment District, on a quiet street, off of both Hollywood & Sunset Boulevards. It offers comfortable and basic dorms that sleep between 6 and 8 people. Each room has a bathroom and lockers.

Hollywood Boulevard is home of the famous Walk of Fame. You'll find the Hollywood and Highland Center, the Kodak Theatre ("American Idol"), Mann's Chinese Theatre (film premieres), Universal Studios, and El Capitan Theatre ("Jimmy Kimmel Live").

*Price does not include tax. Price and availability are based on the night of December 31, 2007.

San Francisco from $36/night
CrawlSF is back for the fifth year in a row to throw its biggest party ever: Speakeasy 2008!

(For those of you who don't remember this chapter from U.S. history class: a speakeasy was where the socially elite went to party during the prohibition era.)

The Renaissance Stanford Court in Nob Hill will transform into a speakeasy from the roaring 20s. Tickets are on sale now and include open bar, heavy hors d'oeuvres, DJ's and dancing, party favors, VIP bags, and a few special surprises!

CrawlSF is a company that brings together the best restaurants, bars, clubs, DJs and bands in the Bay Area to ensure that you have the time of your life.

When you're ready to call it a night, stay at USA Hostels San Francisco. Each dorm room has only 6 dorm beds and its own bathroom. Mixed dorms are for couples and siblings only. The hostel is just three blocks from Union Square and just minutes away from the Cable Cars, shops, bookstores, restaurants, street entertainment, the Theatre District, and Chinatown.

*Price does not include tax. Price and availability are based on the night of December 31, 2007.

New York from $66/night
New York's Time Square will be rockin' for the umpteenth drop of the ball! It's free and will be insane since you'll be experiencing it with thousands of people in the freezing cold.

If you're more in the mood to party indoors:

Tenjune
Marquee
Cielo
Cain
Read about these clubs in our current edition of Travel Addicts eNews, "Best U.S. Cities after Dark!" You may get a few other ideas of what to do and where to go for New Year's Eve.

The Broadway Hostel and Hotel is like a visit to the Far East in the middle of Manhattan's Upper West Side. The interior is decorated with silks and Buddhas. Private rooms offer soothing colors, soft lighting, and a balcony or terrace. There are two eight-bed dorms as well shared bathroom.

Price does not include tax. Price and availability are based on the night of December 31, 2007

London from $38/night
Dance the night away and count down to 2008 at one of London's hottest clubs!

Fabric
Turnmills
Ministry of Sound
Pacha
Club Fantastic
Cross Central Warehouse Party
Restaurants thrive on the New Year's Eve crowd and hot-spots like Chez Gerard and Bertorellis deliver a fantastic menu, dancing and a champagne toast. If you want fun but a little lower key, hit a pub or two. Then there's always a champagne cruise on the Thames.

Clink is a former courthouse that's now a stylish hostel with high-tech pod beds. Rooms used to be courtrooms and some of the private rooms used to be police cells. So, Clink - get it?!? It's near King's Cross tube station so you're just a short hop from all of the sightseeing you want.

*Price does not include tax. Price and availability are based on the night of December 31, 2007.

Paris from $69/night
What's New Year's in Paris without a party at Le Moulin Rouge? This incredible venue has big plans for you: a high-class meal, vintage individual bottle of champagne, the big show at midnight, then dancing 'til dawn!

Also featuring New Year's Eve celebrations.

Le Lido
Le Paradis Latin
Le Brasil Tropical
La Belle Epoque
Dinner cruises on the River Seine are available at various rates and menus from companies like Les Bateaux Parisiens, Bateaux Mouches, and Marina de Bercy.

The Comfort Hotel Place du Tertre is in the famous Monmartre area and only 10-15 minutes walk from Gare du Nord. It's set on a quiet, cobbled street and is close to the Sacre Coeur. It offers single, twin and double rooms and bathrooms. Some rooms have balconies.

*Price and availability are based on the night of December 31, 2007.

New Year's Eve in the air

2007-12-19T09:29:00.001-08:00

I am returning from Canada on December 31 and I was wondering if flying on New Year's Eve is any different than other nights. Are planes less crowded? Do airlines do anything special for passengers? Just wondering.
Colm Heaney

· With great expectations, three years ago this New Year's Eve, my daughter and I flew club class, from Vancouver to Heathrow with Air Canada. We were extremely disappointed to find that the few passengers were expected to sleep as normal. Midnight was announced but nothing special happened. Sorry to disappoint you, but perhaps a different airline will have more of a sense of occasion.
Sandra West

· On January 1 1992 we took the evening flight from Auckland, New Zealand, to Honolulu and Los Angeles. Flying eastbound from New Zealand you cross the International Date Line; the captain of the Continental Airlines DC10 announced that it was New Year's Eve 1991 again, and said he was sending a bottle of champagne back to the passengers. By the time it reached us in the rear part of the economy cabin not much was left!
Robert Goundry, Leamington Spa

New Year's Eve in the air

2007-12-19T09:29:00.000-08:00

American Tours and Travels

2007-12-19T09:27:00.000-08:00

American Travel and Tours, established in Sacramento, California ( United Stated of America ) in 1993, is a leading provider of travel services worldwide. We offer tour packages and arrange customized trips covering regional/national/international flights, transfers, hotel booking, meals, tours and car rental arrangements. At American Travel & Tours we also undertake railway reservations within India and abroad eg. Eurorail Pass. At American Travel & Tours we also undertake and plan the tour packages as per the requirements of the traveler eg. We have most economical plans as well.

American Notes: Travels in America

2007-12-19T09:26:00.000-08:00

1750-1920 comprises 253 published narratives by Americans and foreign visitors recounting their travels in the colonies and the United States and their observations and opinions about American peoples, places, and society from about 1750 to 1920. Also included is the thirty-two-volume set of manuscript sources entitled Early Western Travels, 1748-1846, published between 1904 and 1907 after diligent compilation by the distinguished historian and secretary of the Wisconsin Historical Society Reuben Gold Thwaites. Although many of the authors represented in American Notes are not widely known, the collection includes works by major figures such as Matthew Arnold, Fredrika Bremer, William Cullen Bryant, François-René de Chateaubriand, William Cobbett, James Fenimore Cooper, J. Hector St. John de Crèvecoeur, Charles Dickens, Washington Irving, Benjamin Henry Latrobe, Sir Charles Lyell, William Lyon Mackenzie, André Michaux, Thomas Nuttall, Frederick Law Olmsted, and Robert Louis Stevenson. The narratives in American Notes therefore range from the unjustly neglected to the justly famous, and from classics of the genre to undiscovered gems. Together, they build a mosaic portrait of a young nation.

Manchester Travel Guide

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Why? Site of Britain's two biggest universities and home to two world-class football clubs, a holiday in Manchester is bound to include plenty of partying and action. There is a side of Manchester reserved for serious sight-seers too, with several historic and cultural attractions on offer.
When? When you travel to Manchester be prepared for the weather to be typically English, that is, highly unpredictable. Generally summer is a good time to holiday in Manchester, with mild, mainly sunny days. The city gets more than its fair share of rain, mainly during the cold winters.
Who for? Although it is not regarded as one of Britain's most important tourist destinations, a few days' holiday in Manchester is worthwhile for anyone touring the UK and interested in discovering this major north-western metropolis. The city is also very gay-friendly and the area concentrated around Canal Street is the site of a popular annual Pride festival.
More Info: Anyone deciding whether or not to holiday in Manchester is well advised to read our comprehensive Manchester travel guide which may reveal some surprises about the merits of this vast English city.

Manchester Overview
Although now best known for its football teams, Manchester was once one of England's greatest Victorian cities and was the birthplace of both rail travel and Rolls Royce. It is situated on the east bank of the Irwell River, in the north east of the country, and is the centre of a huge metropolitan area, which now encompasses the surrounding towns of Bury, Bolton, Wigan, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport and Oldham. Liverpool is just 30 miles (48km) down river. The area has long had a reputation as a drab, industrialised sprawl, but Manchester has succeeded in reinventing itself, becoming a vibrant metropolis with nightlife second only to London. The city boasts more than 50 free museums and galleries, a world-class sports centre that recently hosted the Commonwealth Games, and plenty of parks, gardens and other attractions.

The city's architecture is largely a reminder of its central role in the cotton trade and many of the original warehouses can still be seen, although modern-day Manchester is now very different from its heyday as an industrial hub. When the city centre was badly damaged in an IRA bombing in 1996, much of the central area was beautifully renovated. Now renamed the Millennium Quarter, it is a marvellous contrast of splendid Victorian architecture and towering glass edifices, including the eye-catching Urbis exhibition centre.

Manchester City and Manchester United are two of the biggest football clubs in England and Old Trafford (home to Manchester United) has become a huge tourist destination. For those more interested in arts and culture than football, the new Lowry complex in Salford Quays boasts a fantastic selection of art galleries and theatres. The city also plays host to countless events, concerts, festivals and parades, is home to world-class bars and restaurants, and has plenty of shops and markets. Manchester is also home to the United Kingdom's largest Chinatown, and a vibrant and friendly Gay Village, concentrated around Canal and Chorlton Streets.

York Travel Guide

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Why? It is one of England's favourite tourist destinations, so a holiday in York is not to be missed when touring the UK. York is a compact medieval cathedral city that can trace its history back to the Vikings, and features some of the best-preserved historic buildings in Europe. Apart from the sights, many travel to York for its many festivals, which range from celebrating ancient Romans to horse racing and jazz.
When? Typical British weather is to be expected when you holiday in York, meaning that summers will be warm to hot, and winters wet, cold and frosty. The best time to travel to York is during spring, when flowers and trees come into bloom, enhancing the aesthetics of the city.
Who for? With plenty to do and see for all ages, a holiday in York is ideal for families with children, who will enjoy seeing the sights and experiencing fun attractions such as a huge maze and the frightening York Dungeon. York is also popular as a romantic weekend break destination.
More Info: Find out all you can see and do on a merry holiday in York in our York travel guide, which has details on all the main attractions.

York Overview
From the remains of a Viking settlement discovered deep beneath Coppergate Street, to the medieval wall surrounding the old city and the splendour of Castle Howard (the setting for TV's Brideshead Revisited), York is a city steeped in history.

Founded in 71 AD, York is located at the convergence of the Ouse and Foss rivers and was thus a strategic Northern hub, passing through the hands of the Romans, Saxons, Vikings, and Normans respectively. The varied history of the city is evident in its magnificent architecture - from Viking ruins and the walled city to York's most imposing building, the Minster. Northern Europe's largest Gothic Cathedral, the Minster took more than 250 years to complete, and is an impressive structure surrounded by beautiful gardens.

Other popular attractions in the city include the fascinating Jorvik Viking Centre, the York Maze, the York Dungeons and the Shambles, one of Europe's best-preserved medieval cobbled streets. The Shambles area is well worth an afternoon stroll, with its winding narrow lanes, picturesque buildings and quaint shops. Alternatively, a more 'other worldly' way to experience this historic area is on the York Ghost Hunt - a fun and fascinating tour that operates rain or shine through the city streets, in search of York's more illusive residents.

This is not just a city of history, however, and the presence of York University means that it is a lively mix of the old and the new. There are plenty of shops, bars, clubs and restaurants and weary travellers can spend their afternoon in one of the city's excellent tea rooms or coffee shops, while the evenings offer West End shows at North England prices, or some good English pub grub.

Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Travel Guide

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Why? With its sparkling, stylish waterfront and a host of historic sites, Newcastle is a mix of fun and culture, spiced with the legendary Geordie folk heritage. Newcastle, the party capital of north-east England, is often underrated as a travel destination and has been dubbed one of England's best-kept secrets.
When? Like most of England, summer is the best time to travel to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, which has the advantage of being one of the United Kingdom's driest cities. Summertime brings warm temperatures, when locals and visitors alike can take advantage of outdoor party venues.
Who for? A weekend break in Newcastle is well-suited to the younger crowd, who will get the most out of the party culture of this university city. History buffs may also enjoya trip to Newcastle for its ancient Roman heritage and its proximity for excursions to Hadrian's Wall.
More Info: Find out all the information you need for an enjoyable holiday in Newcastle from our full Newcastle-upon-Tyne travel guide, which lists the major local attractions and a great deal more.

Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Overview
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, or Newcastle as it is more commonly known, has worked hard to throw off its image as a dreary, industrial city and to develop a thriving tourism industry. Clearly successful in its attempts at regeneration, Newcastle has now become a highly popular UK weekend destination, particularly with the younger crowd who flock to its bars, restaurants and nightclubs, intent on having a good time.

Situated on the River Tyne's north bank, the city boasts a 2,000-year-old history and a treasure-trove of architecture, with the most classical buildings listed in the UK. Although the city really only reached prominence in the Industrial Revolution, it has long been a capital and defensive point of the north of England for the Romans and Saxons respectively. The city's origins as a Roman town are still evident in Hadrian's Wall, whose ruins can be seen stretching eastwards to Wallsend.

Today, these Roman ruins and the grand elegance of areas such as the neoclassical Grainger Town in the city centre contrast with the ultra modern buildings of the city's new Quayside development. Newcastle's waterfront glitters with chic boutiques, excellent restaurants, stylish hotels and modern art. The Gateshead Millennium Bridge, a work of art in itself, arches across the River Tyne to link Newcastle to Gateshead Quays.

The city's modern amenities lie comfortably alongside a myriad of historic sites, parks, traditional markets, galleries and museums, and although it may not yet be on everybody's list of top destinations, Newcastle is a thriving, vibrant city with plenty to offer the visitor.

Salvador da Bahia

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Salvador de Bahia is Bahia state's capital city (locals generally abbreviate its name to Salvador or simply Bahia). Salvador was founded in 1549 and quickly became the premier city in Brazil, and the second most important city in the Portuguese Empire after Lisbon. Salvador prospered in the 17th and 18th centuries; it was the country's major port and a significant portion of the sugar from the northeast and gold and diamonds from the mines in the southeast passed through the city. Today the wealth of impressive colonial architecture is evidence of the city's rich history. Between the modern tower blocks, well-restored enclaves of the old city remain with cobblestone streets, colourful mansions and dozens of ornate Baroque churches.

The spicy atmosphere of this delightfully decadent city is best soaked up on foot, within the narrow streets and in the markets, the best of which is the Mercado Modelo arts and crafts market. Most churches are open to the public and many have been turned into museums. One of the city's more unusual experiences is to ride the Elevador Lacerda, an Art Deco structure housing old electric elevators that carry passengers between the port and the old historic part of the town, on the hill.

The only thing wrong with Salvador's excellent beaches is that visitors are spoilt for choice. The range extends from calm coves (ideal for swimming, sailing and underwater fishing, such as Porto da Barra beach) to wild beaches facing the Atlantic Ocean, such as Aleluia beach, which attracts surfers. Some beaches are surrounded by coral reefs, forming natural swimming pools that are ideal for children. The beaches are the location for many of Salvador's great festivals, including the New Year festivities, which include performances and an impressive fireworks display.

Salvador is Brazil's most Africanised state, a result of the thousands of slaves that were brought here 400 years ago to work in the sugarcane plantations, and there is even a museum, the Museu Afro-Brasileira, which is dedicated to Black culture. The fusion of African and Latin cultures had given Salvador a unique brand of magic that is particularly evident at city's many festivals, most notably the massive 'Carnaval' in mid-November which attracts two million revellers from all over the world and is said to rival the famous Rio Carnaval.

Attractions

Angra dos Reis

This peninsula and group of 365 islands (one for each day of the year!) is a holiday playground that boasts 2,000 beautiful beaches and a natural wonderland of mountains, forests, waterfalls, lakes and secret coves. Visitors can take trips by schooner, yacht or motor launch to explore the delights of the area, particularly the main island, Ilha Grande. Fishing and diving are the favoured activities for tourists, and on land there are hundreds of walking trails giving access to some of the less frequented beaches like Canto, Abraaozinho, Morcego and Grande das Palmas. The beaches of Aventureiro and Lopes Mendes are also popular with surfers.

Website: www.angra-dos-reis.com; Transport: It can be easily reached from Rio by road in just over two hours, or accessed by bus with daily departures every hour from the Novo Rio Bus Station

Brazil Travel Guide

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A large proportion of Brazil's huge population should have good reason to be unhappy about their lot in life. Yet, the long-lasting impression one has of this magical country is of carefree, colourful people dancing and celebrating in the street parades at Carnaval. It is this passion for life and exuberance of spirit that charms visitors from around the world. Tourists descending on the country's fabulous cities, such as hedonistic Rio de Janeiro, can enjoy the five-star hotels, shopping malls, beautiful beaches, sunny skies and inspirational restaurants without really having to confront the hundreds of shantytowns (favelas) where the poorest of the poor eke out a living in the shadows of the skyscrapers.

Brazil could have been an incredibly wealthy country, but institutionalised corruption and mismanagement of agricultural and natural resources are two of the main reasons why prosperity has been denied to the mass of the people. Despite this, life for most Brazilians is a sensuous adventure and visitors inevitably will get caught up in the rhythm of its samba.

Being so vast, larger than continental United States, Brazil offers a variety of cultures and topographies. The range is evident in the contrast of the Amazon rain forest to the mountain towns of Minas Gerais, the urban jungle of Sao Paulo and the vast central plateau around Brasilia and the world-famous beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema. It all adds up to an exotic and exciting Latin American mix where the common denominators are samba, sunshine, sultry smiles and soccer.

Cayman Islands Travel Guide

2007-11-26T05:48:00.001-08:00

Renowned for beautiful beaches, excellent diving and offshore banking, the Cayman Islands are a group of three islands situated between Cuba and Jamaica, only a 90-minute flight from Miami. Grand Cayman is the largest and most developed of the islands and the location of the capital, George Town. It is hard to believe that among the buildings that line George Town's harbour are 500 banks making up the world's fifth largest offshore financial centre.

Little Cayman and Cayman Brac are 70 miles (113km) northeast of Grand Cayman and are much smaller and even more relaxed. Visitors don't come here in suits; the little business that goes on revolves around diving and catering for the world's best bone-fishing.

Discovered by Columbus in 1503 and explored by Sir Francis Drake in 1586, it was not until 1670 that the islands came under British rule. They remain a British territory, and the Queen's picture is still displayed proudly, but the US exerts the dominant influence over what it considers its backyard. For years the islands were a base for pirates who delighted in the remoteness of Grand Cayman. A bonus was the island's absolutely flat topography, which ensures that its profile is practically invisible against the horizon, making it the perfect hide-away for nefarious characters.

Rio de Janeiro Travel Guide

2007-11-26T05:47:00.001-08:00

Why? Bikinis on the beach, Samba in the streets, a stunning setting with the Sugarloaf Mountain as backdrop, the world famous carnival … how many more reasons can there be to book a holiday in Rio de Janeiro, vibrant capital of Brazil?
When? Rio rocks all year round, with holiday beach weather the order of the day every day. It is therefore always a good time to travel to Rio de Janeiro, but party people are particularly attracted to travel to Rio de Janeiro for 'Carnaval', held annually in January or February, when the samba schools parade through the streets in their brilliant costumes. Carnaval is the cherry on the top for a Rio de Janeiro holiday.
Who for? A holiday in Rio de Janeiro is custom-made for sultry sun-lovers and revellers. Families who enjoy beach holidays can also make the most of the 62 miles (100km) of beaches that flank the city.
More Info: Full, detailed information for a holiday in Rio de Janeiro is available on our Rio de Janeiro travel guide, which can be printed off and used to plan a trip to Rio. The Rio travel guide can also be emailed to a friend using our Email tool.

Rio de Janeiro Overview
Mention Rio to anyone and immediately the name evokes images of sultry street parades, the Sugarloaf Mountain, Corcovado Christ statue, and the 'itsy-bitsy teeny weeny' bikinis on the beach at Ipanema. The exuberant cultural capital of Brazil is tucked between the mountains and the sea and is endowed with a natural beauty that ranges from the beaches to the mountain peaks. It also contains the biggest urban forest in the world, the Tijuca Forest, which was completely replanted during the second half of the 19th century.

The city throbs to the infectious beat of Brazilian music, the choro, the samba and the bossa nova, and is the main source of Brazil's national culture. Its annual carnival, known simply as Carnaval, draws together the population of the city (known as the 'Cariocas') ranging from rich to very poor who take to the streets for the world's largest samba parade on the Sambodromo.

The city is capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro, which encompasses most of Brazil's major tourist attractions.

Rio is a never-ending story made up of 150 districts each characterised by unique features, like Santa Teresa, which is reached by taking an old tram across an ancient aqueduct called Arcos da Lapa. In the central city area Rio boasts historic monuments and public buildings like the Municipal Theatre, the National Museum of Fine Art, the Itamaraty Palace, the National History Museum and the National Library. There are also beautiful examples of religious architecture such as the Sao Bento Monastery. No matter how long you spend exploring the city, it will always deliver new surprises.

To the north of the city is the Lakes region, which has more than 62 miles (100km) of beaches and sea-water lagoons and is the site of the main tourist resorts of Búzios, Cabo Frio, Arrial do Cabo, Rio das Ostras, Maricá and Saquarema.

Kavos Travel Guide

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Overview: A sprawling town on the southern tip of Corfu, Kavos is the most action-packed of the island's resorts and is very popular with British under 25s, intent on having a good time. The long, narrow beach is far from the best in Corfu but offers lovely views over to the Greek mainland, lots of watersports and is fine for sleeping off the night before. Those looking for a less hectic holiday, but still within reach of the nightlife in Kavos, should stay in the neighbouring resort of Aghios Petros, one mile (2km) to the north.
Shopping: The shopping in Kavos is limited to souvenir and 'bucket and spade' shops selling the usual tourist tat including some (often quite good) fake designer labels. For more choice, there are regular buses to Corfu Town (half an hour away), which has an excellent range of shops. Good buys include gold, leather, lace, ceramics and silver. For self-caterers, there are a few mini-markets that supply the essentials, including cheap alcohol and cigarettes. For those that risk buying anything from the street vendors, remember to haggle hard.
Restaurants: There are a wide choice of cafes, restaurants and fast food joints, but most offer a similar menu catering for the unadventurous British palate.
Nightlife: Kavos is the top party destination in Greece and is crammed full of bars and clubs. Popular bars include Snobs and Scorers but the Rollin Stone is a good option for those who need a change from the constant beat of R&B and Garage music; it plays 60s, 70s and 80s classics and is always packed. Good nightclubs include the Limelight, Venue and Future-Atlantis.
Activities: The sea around Kavos is warm and shallow and ideal for swimming and watersports, which can be arranged from the beach. Popular excursions include a visit to the nearby aqua park and boat trips around the scenic coast. Those with a taste for culture should make the trip to the island's historic capital, Corfu Town, which is packed with interesting archaeological sights. Also, the interior of Corfu is worth exploring for those looking for some tranquillity; it remains very unspoilt and uncrowded even during the peak season.
Negatives: The nightlife and entertainment in Kavos is geared for 18-30s, so families would do better to stay well clear of the main strip. This area also attracts touts from far afield. The salesmen outside the bars and restaurants are very pushy but can be worth chatting up as they offer free drinks, but beware of the double measures. Visitors should avoid the Albanian gypsies selling flowers and glow bangles, or keep a very close eye on their wallets. The beach in Kavos is not great and is sometimes covered in litter and seaweed, however it offers safe swimming and lots of watersports. Mosquitoes can be a problem over the summer and the local shops sell various types of repellent. Mopeds are a great way to get around the local area, but tourists should be aware that they also put scores of people into hospital each year.

New Zealand Travel Guide

2007-11-26T05:45:00.002-08:00

New Zealand, 'Land of the Long White Cloud', is a small, sparsely populated country consisting of two major islands, North and South Island, and a scattering of smaller ones. Despite its small size it is crammed with magnificent natural beauty and has an incredible amount to offer; the only complaint travellers have is that they haven't allowed enough time in the country. Fresh air, breathtaking scenery and outdoor activities are the main attractions of New Zealand, with a tremendously friendly, honest and helpful population, colloquially nicknamed after their country's distinct symbol, the unusual but amiable flightless kiwi bird.

The two islands have surprisingly different characters. The North Island has dramatic volcanic landscapes and highly active thermal areas, long stretches of beautiful beaches and excellent sailing, ancient indigenous forests and a strong Maori cultural influence. The South Island has a slower pace of life dominated by a magnificent spine of mountains, the snow-covered Southern Alps, and the spectacular scenery of the southern waterways of the fjord lands, with glaciers, deep lakes and verdant forests.

The signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 was New Zealand's founding document, an attempt to settle disputes between the European settlers and the Maoris, conceding the country to British rule while guaranteeing the Maori people possession of their land and cultural identity. Today, integration has been replaced by a policy of upholding two different cultures alongside each other. Their shared love of sport, most notably the revered national sport of rugby union, and their enthusiasm for adventure and the outdoors is the unifying factor among the whole population.

New Zealand offers a huge variety of action-packed and laid back activities, from bungee jumping to skiing, swimming with dolphins, scenic flights and boat cruises on the fjords, as well as several world famous walking trails with unrivalled scenery. Alternatively visitors can immerse themselves in culture at the museums and galleries of the country's main cities - Auckland and the capital Wellington in the North, and Christ Church in the south.

New Zealand is an easy and compact place in which to travel and its spectacularly dramatic landscape alone, famous for its setting for the 'The Lord of the Rings' film trilogy, makes the long trip to these southern islands more than worthwhile.

Amman Travel Guide

2007-11-26T05:45:00.001-08:00

Why? The reason most people travel to Amman, Jordan's 'white city', is because it is a great base for exploring the country. A holiday in Amman will also reveal the fact that this city (one of the oldest in the world) boasts plenty of historic sites as well as a modern ambience and culture.
When? If you want to stay dry, avoid a holiday in Amman between October and March, when it is wet and cold, with occasional snowfalls. Sun-lovers who travel to Amman will revel in the hot, dry, summer months.
Who for? An Amman holiday is recommended for serious travellers who enjoy discovering a different way of life and making excursions to unique and interesting outlying sites, like the famous 'Rose City', the historic town of Madaba with its beautiful mosaics, or the Dead Sea.
More Info: Before travelling to Amman make use of our detailed Amman travel guide, which gives comprehensive information on excursions and attractions, as well as basic facts about entry requirements, communication, health and safety.

Amman Overview
Originally spread over seven hills, or jabals, the capital of the Hashemite kingdom now sprawls over 19 hills and is home to well over a million people, almost half of Jordan's population. Known as the White City, the hills are covered in a jumble of light-coloured stone houses, consistently box-like in shape with flat roofs characteristic of a typical desert city. Faded minarets, pavement markets, Arabian sweet shops and the crumbling remains of ancient civilisations contrast wonderfully with the contemporary edifices, fashionable boutiques and international restaurants. This blend of the old and the new combines in the noisy and chaotic downtown area where the city's extraordinarily friendly residents go about their business.

At the heart of downtown is the Ottoman-style King Hussein Mosque, around which the buzz and bustle is at its most interesting. Even busier at prayer times, the surrounding streets are filled with the essence of Arabia, exotic smells and rows of glittering treasures in the souq (market) amid the noise of frenetic haggling.

Just as overwhelming is Amman's sense of history, dating back 5,500 years to its position as the ancient capital of the Ammonites, Rabbath-Ammon of the Old Testament, and later as Philadelphia, the Roman city that became part of the Decapolis. Overlooking the city from atop Jabal al-Qala'a is the Citadel, the site of the ancient Rabbath-Ammon, and at its foot lies the impressive Roman amphitheatre that is the most remarkable remnant of ancient Philadelphia.

Amman is one of the oldest, continuously inhabited cities in the world, and today functions as a thriving commercial and administrative centre with modern facilities, historical attractions and a longstanding tradition of hospitality. It is an excellent base from which to explore the surrounds, even the rest of the country, being no more than five hours drive from anywhere, and is surprisingly agreeable for a capital city.

Orlando Travel Guide

2007-11-26T05:44:00.000-08:00

Why? For fun in the sun there is no better place to travel to than Orlando, Florida's holiday Mecca where Walt Disney founded his Magic Kingdom in 1971. Today Disney World is just a part of the world's greatest pleasure dome, which boasts four major theme parks, including Universal Studios and Sea World.
When? It is holiday time in Orlando all year round. Those who travel to Orlando will find it very hot in summer, and mild in winter. Even the quick thunderstorms that occur between May and September are unlikely to dampen the spirits of Orlando holidaymakers.
Who for? Orlando's myriad man-made holiday attractions are a paradise for children, but no matter what age you are when you travel to Orlando the theme parks and hundreds of other amenities will bring out the child in you.
More Info: To discover the delights of a holiday in Orlando consult our Orlando travel guide. The travel guide, updated regularly, contains all the information you need to plan a holiday in Orlando, from how to get around the resort city to exciting excursions and opening times for the main theme parks.

Orlando Overview
The most famous resident of this central Florida city is Mickey Mouse, the cartoon creation of animated movie tycoon, Walt Disney, whose vision has turned Orlando, and the adjacent Lake Buena Vista and Kissimee areas, into the world’s busiest, biggest and best-known concentrated tourist Mecca. Disney bought up land in the area with the aim of establishing his dream theme park back in the 1960s. He died before the first park, the Magic Kingdom, officially opened in 1971, but his legacy has taken root and is still growing. Currently the Disney empire in Orlando includes four theme parks, dozens of smaller attractions, thousands of hotel rooms and holiday apartments, hundreds of restaurants and snack bars and even two cruise ships. It is not only the Disney dazzle that draws visitors to Orlando. There are other attractions here too, like Universal Studios and Sea World, all adding to the maelstrom of thrills and pleasure palaces that this city is now renowned for. Just a trip down attraction-rich International Drive is a mind-boggling experience.

Santiago Travel Guide

2007-11-26T05:43:00.000-08:00

Santiago at dusk © USA Cuba TravelWhy? A modern metropolis mingled with the breath of the past, a holiday in Santiago is perhaps not as exciting as a visit to one of the other major South American cities, but it is nevertheless a city with distinctive personality, great sites, colourful markets, lively street life and an awesome museum devoted to pre-Columbian exhibits. Many also travel to Santiago to use this city as a base for outdoor adventures, and excursions to wineries, national parks and ski resorts.
When? The best time to travel to Santiago is during spring or autumn, when the weather is pleasant. During the height of summer (December to March) the locals head for the hills to avoid the heat and enjoy their annual vacations, so this is also a good time to holiday in Santiago if you prefer to avoid crowds.
Who for? Tourists exploring South America should not miss out on a holiday in Santiago, which offers plenty to see and experience on strolls through the city streets. Anyone who enjoys the great outdoors should travel to Santiago, with its ragged mountain backdrop, because it is an ideal base for accessing the recreational and adventure activities of the surrounding countryside.
More Info: Our Santiago travel guide is the ideal resource for planning a Santiago holiday. The guide is packed with information, from entry requirements and communications, to advice on how to get around the city and details of local attractions.

Santiago Overview
The towering Andes provide an awesome backdrop for the sprawling metropolis of Santiago. The population of this flat urban stage that spreads out from a compact city centre numbers more than five million. Despite this, a small town atmosphere prevails downtown where friends will more than likely meet and greet each other in the overcrowded streets and bustling walkways of the main commercial district.

The city is a curious mix of skyscrapers and 19th-century European architecture, with some Spanish adobe bungalows thrown in for good measure. Threaded through this architectural tapestry are numerous green areas, busy markets, and quaint old squares. Street life is vibrant, and adding to the vibe is the presence of numerous chic sidewalk cafes, outside of which traditionally dressed women hawk their wares hoping to catch the eye of the tourists. There are also some small but impressive museums, several modern hotels, excellent restaurants and some good shopping opportunities in the Ahumada and Huerfanos pedestrian malls.

The city exudes an aura of health and wealth in the inner city and fashionable suburbs, despite the shabby shantytowns stretching out from behind the skyscraper facade. The city is also one of the 10 most severely polluted cities in the world, thanks to its position in a bowl of mountains. It is nevertheless an excellent base in which to spend a relaxing few days taking excursions to the wineries, national parks and ski areas, which are all within easy reach of the city.

New Mexico Travel Guide

2007-10-27T02:21:00.001-07:00

New Mexico, billed as the ‘land of enchantment’, is a geological wonderland featuring everything from the high Rocky Mountain ranges of the north, the Chihuahuan Desert in the south, the great plains in the east, the spectacular canyons of the west and, cutting right through the centre, the Rio Grande, a river much revered in a state were water is sacred. Combined with a bright blue sky, a rich heritage of ancient Native American culture and Hispanic occupation, New Mexico makes up a fascinating and colourful mosaic that quite understandably draws thousands of visitors looking for a destination that brings surprises at every turn, and reveals hidden treasures behind every mysterious rock formation.

Originally the home of the Anasazi people, who evolved into today’s Pueblo Indians still living in their traditional settlements, New Mexico was also the scene of territorial wars between the legendary Apache and Navajo tribes. Along came the Spanish explorers and by 1610 the capital of Santa Fe had been founded and settled.

Today the dual Spanish and Indian heritage provides for some fascinating historic attractions in the State, and the ‘living museums’ of the pueblos welcome visitors. The state was home, too, to some of the most legendary mountain men and notorious cowboys, like Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, not to mention cattle barons like John Chisum who grew rich rounding up longhorns on the southeastern plains. From cowboys to alien space ships is a big leap, but one New Mexico makes with ease in the town of Roswell in the southeast, where UFO enthusiasts flock to investigate the famed ‘Roswell Incident’.

Aside from its historic and physical attractions New Mexico has the special appeal of being caught in a time warp. A laid-back attitude prevails even in the cities, and the pace is as slow and languid as the ascent of the myriad of colourful hot-air balloons that fill the skies over the city of Albuquerque in the world-famous annual festival.

Pennsylvania Travel Guide

2007-10-27T02:20:00.004-07:00

One of the original 13 colonies to be settled in the United States, Pennsylvania was founded by an English Quaker, William Penn, in the 17th century: hence the name of the state which literally means Penn's Woods'. There are certainly woods in Pennsylvania (particularly in the Allegheny National Forest in the north), but also a great deal more besides in this diverse state, which spans more than 300 miles (483km) from Delaware Bay to the Great Lakes.

Above all else Pennsylvania is the most historically significant state in the nation, particularly its main population hub, the eastern seaboard city of Philadelphia, where America's founding fathers shaped the nation after Independence. The Liberty Bell seldom tolls today, but it draws millions of visitors annually to the city's Historic Independence National Park.

The other main metropolis is Pittsburgh on the western side of the state, where the smoke-belching steel mills of the early 20th century have given way to urban redevelopment highlighting the region's natural beauty.

In between its two major cities, Pennsylvania, bounded by six other states (New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia and Ohio), offers everything from honeymoon retreats, family style resorts, ski-lodges, an eclectic mix of architecture, scrumptious home-style fare, historic treasures, panoramic cityscapes, pastoral pleasure, artists' colonies and country inns. Whatever a visitor wants out of a sojourn in this state, he or she is bound to find. Even chocolate lovers will discover paradise here, for this is the location of Hershey, home of the world-famous Hershey Bar, which offers up its favourite Chocolate World attraction for the tasting.

State capital is the city of Harrisburg in the north, with it's exceptionally handsome capitol building and impressive State Museum, covering Pennsylvania's 300-year history, and the National Civil War Museum which focuses on the human side of the conflict.

Ohio Travel Guide

2007-10-27T02:20:00.003-07:00

Located to the south of Lake Erie, Ohio is the easternmost of the Great Lake states and one of the most industrialised regions in the country. Railroads, the Ohio River and the ports on Lake Erie, as well as the construction of the Erie-Ohio Canal linking the two waterways, aided the state's development as a major manufacturing centre, combined with abundant natural resources that enabled its cities to become important centres of industry. However most of the industry is clustered around the Ohio River to the east.

Ohio's proficiency as a manufacturing hub continues today, but cities like Cincinnati and Cleveland have undergone a major rejuvenation and are surprisingly attractive, having successfully managed to exchange factories and warehouses for gleaming downtown centres. Cincinnati offers a variety of museums, galleries, fine dining and shopping, while Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a major internationally acclaimed attraction. Fascinating neighbourhoods, miles of parklands and a revitalised lakefront image are drawing visitors to this city on the shores of Lake Erie. The state capital of Columbus is the main hub of education, research and commerce and is a lively college city with fine architecture and several interesting museums.

Although dominated by its three main cities, the most visited destinations in the state are the sandy shores of the Lake Erie Islands with a wide range of recreational activities including boating, fishing, swimming, as well as numerous historical sites and nature areas.

Despite its association with industry and pollution, the state of Ohio is mostly covered in fertile farmland, and the northeast is home to the world's largest Amish population, a decidedly old-fashioned community who sell their freshly grown produce along with traditional handmade crafts in the small town country shops. To the south lies Ohio's outback, a less populated region that is heavily forested and can best be experienced in Wayne National Forest.

Oklahoma Travel Guide

2007-10-27T02:20:00.001-07:00

For some Americans, Oklahoma is that state of indeterminate location and character. Though often considered part of the Southwest, even this point is up for debate. It lacks the rugged canyons and pastel skies of New Mexico or Arizona. Yet Oklahoma's identity is distinct and very much a legacy of the Old West. Its vast rolling plains marked the end of the Trail of Tears, when the Cherokee, along with many other Native American peoples, were removed from lands to the east. This new Indian Territory proved too attractive to settlers, however, and the government held a series of 'land runs' for pioneers to stake their claims. The movie Far and Away depicts one of these mad dashes for property, when cities of thousands sprung up overnight, including Oklahoma City, now the capital. The Native Americans fought further expansion, and today Oklahoma has the second largest Indian population in the United States, providing visitors with rich cultural experiences like powwows, craft festivals and traditional storytelling. Events also pay homage to the cowboys of history, with more than 100 rodeos taking place in Oklahoma each year in which modern-day cowboys compete in calf-roping, steer-wrestling and bull-riding events. The state also has a strong African-American heritage. Many blacks headed to Oklahoma to escape slavery and oppression and formed all-black communities. The few that remain today, like Langston, still host cultural celebrations.

The flat, fertile land of the central region is only one part of Oklahoma's diverse terrain. In the east, the prairies give way to rugged mountains and dense forests. This region, today a favourite of rappellers, hikers and equestrians, was once a favourite of outlaws as well. Robbers Cave State Park served as a hideout for such notorious fugitives as Jesse James and Belle Starr. The Broken Bow area is also popular with outdoorsmen. Its fly-fishing and boating opportunities make it a top holiday spot. In the north, the grasslands shift again into one of Oklahoma's most intriguing natural wonders, the Great Salt Plains, literally an 8,690-acre sea of salt, and in the west lie the Beaver Dunes, where adventurous visitors can rev up dune buggies or ATVs and race down sandy slopes.

It may be hard not to assume that the farm-life images of the musical Oklahoma are true for the entire state. However, while Oklahoma as a whole tends to be conservative and inspires nostalgia for a slower pace and simpler life, sophistication is not precluded. The vision and sensitivity with which the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum were established, in honour of those who died in the 1995 bombing, attest to this. So do the state's well-preserved architectural gems, remnants of the Oklahoma oil boom of the 1920s and 1930s, which include the Price Tower Arts Center in Bartlesville, the only completed skyscraper designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, and the Art Deco buildings of Tulsa. Finally, there is historic Route 66, not exactly sophisticated, but not farmland either. Visitors in search of travel kitsch will find landmarks in roadside architecture, including the Blue Whale and Totem Pole Park, on this original highway to the West.

British Virgin Islands Travel Guide

2007-10-27T02:19:00.003-07:00

Often referred to as 'Nature's Little Secrets', visitors to the British Virgin Islands will not be hard pressed to find out why. Abounding in natural beauty, the 36 islands making up the Caribbean archipelago (16 of which are uninhabited) have kept the affects of tourism at bay and offer unblemished beaches, numerous unspoilt anchorages, exotic fauna and flora and a low-key lifestyle.

Situated about 50 miles (80km) east of Puerto Rico and just north east of the US Virgin Islands, the islands and cays that make up the British Virgin Islands are clustered around the Sir Francis Drake Channel, which is renowned for its sheltered, crystal clear waters. Its location has made the archipelago a Mecca for yachting enthusiasts and the islands are known as one of the best and safest sailing destinations in the world, with reliable trade winds, near perfect weather and a choice of secluded and intriguing bays to visit.

The largest island, Tortola, is the yachting capital of the Caribbean and the territory's main commercial centre, its beautiful mountainous slopes endowed with tropical fruits and flowers. It is an ideal base from which to explore some of the other inhabited islands such as Virgin Gorda, noted for its spectacular geological formations and one of BVI's most famous landmarks - The Baths. Travellers in search of a remote and rustic retreat, with the smell of freshly baked banana bread and the sounds of the famed calypso-singing in the air, should head for the friendly beach haven of Jost Van Dyke, while the reefs surrounding Anagada's low-lying coral atoll and its miles of deserted white beaches shouldn't be missed by divers, snorkellers and sun worshippers. Besides these major islands, there are also dozens of secluded islets and cays to explore, each blessed with its own special charm and unique beauty.

Liverpool Travel Guide

2007-10-27T02:19:00.001-07:00

Why? It is often under-rated as a worthy destination, but anyone who enjoys a holiday in Liverpool will be quick to point out the merits of the Merseyside, which has some splendid architecture, a great musical heritage, Europe's oldest Chinatown and two top football clubs, just to name a few of its attractions. Having been recently declared the European Capital of Culture for 2008 has added another feather to Liverpool's cap.
When? During summertime the living is easy in Liverpool, when the weather is usually warm and sunny. Like most of England, though, the weather is unpredictable any time of year. The ideal time to travel to Liverpool is in spring or autumn, when the weather is still mild but one can avoid the summer crowds.
Who for? Football fans and those afflicted with 'Beatlemania' probably make up the bulk of those who holiday in Liverpool, but in fact the city has something to offer anyone and everyone.
More info: Plan your holiday in Liverpool by referring to our Liverpool travel guide, which contains all the information you need from details of the opening and closing times of attractions to how to get around the city.

Liverpool Overview
Whether you take the Ferry 'cross the Mersey, or a stroll down Penny Lane, most visitors will find it difficult to explore Liverpool without a song on their lips. From the twin cathedrals with their striking views over the city to the historical, Grade 1 listed Albert Dock and its Beatles museum, there's plenty to see and do.

An important maritime centre and industrial port, Liverpool was one of the great cities of the United Kingdom in the Industrial Revolution and much of its wealth came from its dominance in the shipping of textiles, cotton, sugar and slaves. The city was severely bombed in World War II and has struggled to get back on its feet, seeing waves of prosperity and depression. The 1960s saw the explosion of the Beatles and pop music, while the 1990s saw an attempt to regenerate the rather dull urban centre.

Liverpool's waterfront is now a UNESCO World Heritage site and the city has achieved World Heritage Status, joining Edinburgh and Bath as the only UK cities to carry the honour. Since the announcement of Liverpool as the European Capital of Culture for 2008, millions of pounds have been poured into further development of the city, including the £920 million Paradise Street development in the city centre.

Liverpool is a city of diversity and despite its struggles, it boasts the most Georgian buildings in the UK, Europe's oldest Chinatown, a number of striking Victorian buildings and plenty of world-class attractions. The historical Albert Dock was restored in the 1980s and is now one of the city's most popular attractions, housing chic restaurants, bars, shops and museums, including the Merseyside Maritime Museum and the Tate Liverpool. The city boasts two world-class football clubs, Liverpool and Everton, and fans can explore the grounds of their favourite teams. There is also plenty of Beatlemania to satisfy fans, including the International Beatles Week every August, and several Beatles-related museums and points of interest.

The city plays host to plenty of other events, festival and concerts, as well as the world's biggest steeplechase, the Grand National, at Ainstree. There are also several fascinating museums, beautiful parks and gardens, bustling markets and galleries to explore. Whether a Beatles fan or not, Liverpool has much to offer the visitor and it is no wonder that it has become one of the top UK day trip destinations.

Ankara Travel Guide

2007-10-27T02:18:00.001-07:00

East and west fuse together perfectly in Turkey's capital city of Ankara, where shades of the mystical east and ancient civilisations lie partially hidden among 20th-century office buildings, shopping malls and government offices. The city is imbued with the spirit of modernity and youth, this being a student town filled with language schools, universities, colleges and military bases. It also has a vast ex-pat community (most of it diplomatic), which adds to the cosmopolitan atmosphere.

Situated on a rocky hill in the dry, barren region of Anatolia, this humming city can trace its history back to the bronze age, and has been a part of historic events through several great civilisations, including the Phrygians, Lydians, Persians, Greek, Romans, Galatians and Ottomans. Alexander the Great was one of the conquerors who stayed in the city for a while, and today's tourists are spoilt for choice when it comes to unearthing the city's historic attractions.

With a population of well over four million, Ankara is a deserving capital city, aptly named as the 'anchor' of Turkey, perhaps not always sought after by tourists but certainly entertaining hordes of business travellers and those seriously intrigued with ancient history.

The old heart of the city (Ulus) is centred on an ancient citadel on a hilltop, where many historic buildings have been restored, many having been turned into restaurants serving traditional Turkish cuisine. In this area there are several Roman archaeological sites, and narrow alleys shelter shops selling eastern delights like leather, carpets, copper, spices and jewellery. From the heart outwards, the city spreads across various hills in modern splendour, carefully planned by the city fathers after Turkey's independence fighter, Ataturk, set up provisional government in what was just a small dusty town back in 1920, after the first World War. Ataturk brought in European urban planners to create his proclaimed capital, and he lies here today in his lofty mausoleum, the Anitkabir, in a green 'peace' park, amid the wide boulevards he created.

Apart from archaeological sites, the most interesting things to see in Ankara are the many museums, and the beautiful parks, like Kugulu Park, renowned for its graceful swans, and the Genclik Park with its rowing pond and botanical garden.

Northern Ireland Travel Guide

2007-10-27T02:15:00.000-07:00

Once forming the ancient kingdom of Ulster, Northern Ireland has been home to Gaelic kings, ancient Irish clans and seafaring Vikings. It is the Land of St Patrick and the giant Finn McCool and is steeped in myths and legends of a mysterious and heroic past. Its appeal encompasses beautiful scenery, historic forts and castles and a rich legacy of Celtic Christianity, as well as the Ulster people who are welcoming and genuine, with an impetuous sense of humour. Another attraction is the small size of the country - its sights are all within a short, scenic drive of each other along mostly rural roads whose only traffic jams are caused by flocks of sheep and cattle crossings.

To the south east lies some of Ireland's loveliest landscapes in the Kingdoms of Down, an area recognised worldwide as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty - it combines miles of spectacular coastline with fishing villages, seaside resorts, loughs, forests and the Mountains of Mourne. To the north is the dramatic Antrim coastline with its soaring cliffs, unblemished beaches and the magnificent glacier-carved Glens of Antrim. Among the unusual rock formations glimpsed from the coastal road, none is stranger or more memorable than the famous Giant's Causeway, the legendary tourist attraction that is fabled to be the highway built by giant Fin McCool, to bring his lady love to Ulster from an island in the Hebrides. This World Heritage Site is a mass of thousands of basalt columns tightly packed together to form stepping stones leading from the foot of the cliffs into the sea.

The gateway to the northwest is the historic walled city of Londonderry, or Derry, a city that encompasses poets, storytellers, music and festivals, and is a centre of culture and creativity. Across the Sperrins is the city of Belfast, surrounded by hills and a wealth of industrial sites, such as old linen and corn mills that are a reminder of Northern Ireland's industrial heritage. Belfast played a significant role in the Industrial Revolution and the development of its manufacturing businesses quickly turned the 17th-century village into a robust metropolis that today is home to a third of the country's population and some wonderful architecture.

With its green hills, rivers and lakes, mountains and spectacular coastline, Northern Ireland is the perfect setting for most outdoor activities, while in the towns and villages visitors will undoubtedly be invited to join in the 'craic' or good fun, centred on a traditional Irish music session and a pint or two of the black stuff.

South Korea Travel Guide

2007-10-13T07:58:00.001-07:00

An intriguing land of ancient ruins, romantic legends, natural wonders, breathtaking landscapes and teeming modern cities, the Republic of Korea can trace its history back half a million years.

Tourists are discovering with delight the hidden treasures of the southern half of the mountainous Korean peninsula, which pokes southwards from the eastern end of the Asian continent. South Korea has been separated from North Korea by a demilitarised zone since 1953, and has flourished to become a stable and mature democracy, home to 50-million people who are spread across its nine provinces, concentrated in seven mega-cities. Previously dubbed 'the hermit kingdom', South Korea is now flaunting its bright plumage like a proud peacock.

Largest of the metropoles, and the area most frequented by visitors, is the capital, Seoul, the world's tenth largest city, where ancient shrines nestle beneath soaring skyscrapers. This seething city, ringed by mountains, offers hundreds of attractions and experiences, vibrant nightlife and unforgettable dining.

The least populated area of the country is Gangwon-do Province on the eastern side of the Peninsula, where remote forested mountains and valleys are studded with small towns. This area, which played host to the Asian Winter Games in 1999, is fast becoming one of the world's most sought after skiing destinations. The rest of the year visitors are drawn to the province's magnificent beaches and scenic hiking trails.

Another area rich in tourist attractions is the south-eastern region, with its wealth of archaeological treasures. Gyeongju, ancient capital of the Silla Kingdom, is an open-air museum boasting tombs, temples, pagodas and ruins dating from as early as 57 BC. The Bomun Lake Resort with its luxury hotels is a fine base from which to explore the area. New resort complexes are currently under construction to open up this fascinating area even more to tourism.

Those seeking a romantic getaway head for South Korea's resort island, Jejudo, known as 'little Hawaii' because of its subtropical vegetation, volcanic landscape, sandy beaches and sparkling waterfalls. The island is dominated by the towering Mount Hallasan volcano, but visitors need not fear a natural disaster … the volcano was last active in 1007!

Singapore Travel Guide

2007-10-13T07:56:00.000-07:00

Why?
Many business people and holidaymakers travel to Singapore on their way to the Far East, or as a stop-off between Australia and Europe, and are eager to see and experience this legendary hi-tech Asian city, which combines traditional enclaves with the towering steel and cement of a cosmopolitan international power-house. Singapore is also one of the world's hottest shopping spots.
When?
Singapore is a city of cultural festivals, from Chinese New Year parades in February to the Hindu Festival of Lights in November, so it is wise to coincide a Singapore holiday with one of these colourful events (check the events page on our Singapore travel guide). Weather-wise, being near the equator, it is hot and humid all year round with brief rain showers experienced nearly every day.
Who for?
Being an international financial centre, many who travel to Singapore come on business trips. A Singapore holiday is particularly appealing for serious shoppers, with its magnificent malls and competitive prices.
More Info: To find out all that Singapore has to offer consult our detailed travel guide, which is updated regularly. The Singapore travel guide also contains all the basic information required to travel to Singapore, including entry requirements and airport information.

Singapore Overview
Beguiling Singapore is a modern city-state embracing economic progress against the backdrop of age-old tradition. The customs that underpin community life are created out of a cultural mix that includes predominantly Chinese, Indian and Malay ethnic groups.

Singapore is an island off the southern tip of Malaysia, linked to it by a causeway. It evolved from a sleepy fishing village in the early 1900s to become one of Asia's economic tigers. Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles landed on Singapore's northern bank in 1819 and felt that its location made it ideal as a trading station. From here Singapore's landscape was transformed by British colonial rule, Japanese occupation, Communist insurrection and finally, independence. Since becoming a republic in 1965 the island has experienced increased prosperity and exponential economic growth. Shimmering skyscrapers tower above the slick financial districts and elegant colonial buildings preserve a lingering old-world charm.

Singapore's full calendar of events showcases a spectrum of cultural celebrations and shopping activities. The early summer months bustle in anticipation of the Singapore Sale - a time when tourists can cash in on the competitive prices of electronic equipment, jewellery and other merchandise. The business activity thrives amidst the celebration of Chinese, Hindu and Muslim festivals that punctuate the year with their colourful representations. These include the Chinese New Year, Ramadan, Hari Raya Puasa, Vesak Day, the Dragon Boat Festival, Festival of the Hungry Ghosts and Thaipusam.

The core of downtown Singapore is formed by the Colonial District embellished by cathedrals and cricket lawns. The notable sites of the area include the Empress Place Building and the luxurious Raffles Hotel. Although most of old Singapore has been demolished to make way for the modern city, many major landmarks within the Colonial district have been preserved. The surrounding ethnic enclaves of Little India, Chinatown and the Arab Quarters also provide glimpses into the traditions that have sustained their respective communities through the centuries.

KERVANSARAY HOTEL ULUDAĞ

2007-10-13T07:53:00.001-07:00

Status : ****
Phone : (224) 285 21 87 (Pbx)
Fax : (224) 285 21 93
Adress : 1.GELİŞİM BÖLGESİ 16355 ULUDAĞ/BURSA
E-Mail : uludag@kervansarayhotels.com
Web : http://www.kervansarayhotels.com

Rooms and Beds
169 Rooms, 510 Beds, 159 Double and Triple Rooms
Room Properties
Direct Dial Telephone, Hair Dryer, Minibar (Charged), Wake up service, Safety Box(Free), Central Heating, Bathtube/Shower, Music (on TV)
Room Views
Mountain view,
Wining and Dining
2 Restaurant(s) Indoor cap:450,Main Restaurant 450 pax.,Non-Smoking Restaurant 80 pax.,Sultan Bar, Cafe Montana, Cafe Pronto,Trucula Bar, Şömine Lounge, Turkish, International, Cuisines
Inclusive Terms
FB,
Meeting
300,100,80, Table Microphone, VCD Player, Lectern, Music Broadcast, Flipchart,
Facilities and Services
Babysitting, Market, Laundry Service(Charged), Power generator,Atari (Charged),
Activities and Recreation
(Free) Indoor Swimming Pool Turkish Bath(Charged) , Sauna(Free), Massage(Charged), Fitness Center(Free), Coiffeur(Charged), Beauty Parlour(Charged), Playing Ground for Children ,
Sports
Table Tennis(Charged), Billiards(Charged), Skiing (Ski Equipments by Charged), Chair Lift,
Location
, On the Mountain Bursa34 km, Bursa Airport 89 km,

GRAND HOTEL YAZICI

2007-10-13T07:52:00.002-07:00

Status : ****
Phone : (224) 285 20 50 Pbx
Fax : (224) 285 20 48-285 20 49
Adress : 1. GELİŞİM BÖLGESİ 16000 ULUDAĞ/BURSA
E-Mail : sales@grandyazici.com.tr
Web : http://www.grandyazici.com

Rooms and Beds
250 Rooms, 700 Beds, 237 Standard Rooms, 14 Connected Rooms, 4 Suites, 9 Junior Suites, 1 King Suite
Room Properties
Direct Dial Telephone, Shower and WC, Hair Dryer, Fire Alarm, Minibar, Wake up service, Safety Box, TV, Cable TV, Satellite TV, Music Broadcast, Internet Connection, Central Heating, Split Air condition,
Room Views
Mountain view, Forest view,
Wining and Dining
2 Restaurant(s) Indoor cap:750, Outdoor cap: 750, Breakfast Hall (total cap: 500), Patisserie, Snack Bar, Cafeteria, Lobby Bar, Pool Bar, Restaurant Bar, Turkish, International, Cuisines
Inclusive Terms
HB, FB,
Meeting
4 Meeting Room(s) Total Cap: 1000, Corporate Internet Connection, Sound System, Table Microphone, Voice Recording System, Illumination System, Dvd Player, Vcd Player, VCR, Stage, Lettern, Music Broadcast, Slide Projector, Computer Projector, Video Recording, Projection Screen, Barcovision, Overhead Projector, Flipchart, TV, Writing Board, Fax, Air conditioning, Laser Pointer,
Facilities and Services
Wake up service, Secretarial services for businessmen, Business center, Internet, Laundry Service, Safety box at reception, Power generator, Parking lot for100 cars,
Activities and Recreation
1 Indoor Swimming Pool with children section, Turkish Bath, Finnish Bath, Sauna, Massage, Jacuzzi, Fitness Center, Beauty Parlour, Solarium, Gymnasium Hall, Playing Ground for Children , Mini Club, TV Room, Night Club, Disco,
Sports
Billiards, Skiing, Volleyball, Basketball, Jogging, Mini Football,
Nearby Attractions
Football, Trekking,
Location
, On the Mountain Bursa35 km, İstanbul 280 km, Yenişehir Airport 70 km,
Meeting Properties of this hotel

DORUKKAYA SKI & MOUNTAIN RESORT

2007-10-13T07:52:00.001-07:00

Status : ****
Phone : (374) 234 50 26 ( 15 Lines)
Fax : (374) 234 50 25
Adress : ALKAYA MEVKİİ PK.51 KARTALKAYA/BOLU
E-Mail : dorukkaya@kayatourism.com.tr
Web : http://www.kayatourism.com.tr

Rooms and Beds
259 Rooms, 900 Beds, 163 Standard Rooms, 66 Deluxe Rooms, 2 Villas, 28 Oberge Rooms
Room Properties
Telephone, Shower and WC, Bathroom, Hair Dryer, Minibar, TV, Central Heating,
Room Views
Mountain view, Forest view,
Wining and Dining
2 Restaurant(s) Indoor cap:750, Snack Bar, Cafeteria, Oberj Restaurant 120 pax., Lobby Bar, Disco Bar,Tepe Cafe (Extra), Chocolate Cafe (Extra), Turkish, International, Cuisines
Inclusive Terms
All Inclusive Local Drinks.
Meeting
1 Meeting Room(s) Total Cap: 250, Sound System, Wireless Microphone, Illumination System, DVD Player, VCD Player, VCR,
Facilities and Services
Medical Room, Doctor, Babysitting (On Request), Wake up service (On Request), Business center, Internet, Market, Dry Cleaning, Laundry Service, Safety box at reception (for Rent), Power generator, Parking lot for cars,
Activities and Recreation
(Heated) Indoor Swimming Pool Sauna, Massage, Jacuzzi, Fitness Center, Health Center, Coiffeur, Beauty Parlour, Gymnasium Hall, Playing Ground for Children , Mini Club, TV Room, Disco,
Sports
8 Ski-Lift, Snowboard Lift,11 Ski Pist, Snowpark, Biliards, Skiing, Soft Animation, Sport Club
Location
, On the Mountain Bolu40 km, Esenboğa Airport 200 km,

DEDEMAN PALANDÖKEN

2007-10-13T07:51:00.001-07:00

Status : ****
Phone : (442) 316 24 14
Fax : (442) 316 36 07
Adress : PK. 115 25000 ERZURUM
E-Mail : palandoken@dedeman.com
Web : http://www.dedeman.com

Rooms and Beds
183 Rooms, 610 Beds, 172 Standard Rooms, 1 Suites,
Room Properties
Direct Dial Telephone, Bathroom, Hair Dryer, Electronic Keylock System, Fire Alarm, Minibar, Wake up service, Satellite TV, Music Broadcast, Wireless Internet , Central Heating,
Room Views
Mountain view,
Wining and Dining
Indoor cap:500, Snack Bar, Cafeteria, Lobby Bar, Pool Bar, American Bar, Disco Bar, Vitamin Bar, Turkish,
Inclusive Terms
TP+
Meeting
1 Meeting Room(s) Total Cap: 100, Wireless Microphone, Illumination System, Music Broadcast, Flipchart, TV, Writing Board,
Facilities and Services
Doctor, Babysitting, Wake up service, Internet, Market, Dry Cleaning, Laundry Service, Safety box at reception, Power generator, Parking lot for50 cars,
Activities and Recreation
1 Indoor Swimming Pool Turkish Bath , Sauna, Massage, Fitness Center, TV Room, Night Club, Disco,
Sports
Table Tennis, Billiards, Skiing, Chair Lift, Animation all day long,
Nearby Attractions
Ski School
Location
Near City Center,, On the Mountain Erzurum6 km, Erzurum Airport 17 km,

SARIKAMIŞ TOPRAK HOTEL

2007-10-13T07:50:00.000-07:00

Status : *****
Phone : (474) 413 41 11 Merkez Ofis (0212 326 30 22 - 55)
Fax : (474) 413 79 70 Merkez Ofis Fax (0212 236 86 11)
Adress : CİBİLTEPE MEVKİİ 36500 SARIKAMIŞ/KARS
E-Mail : salessarikamistoprakhotel@toprak.com.tr
Web : http://www.sarikamistoprakhotels.com

Rooms and Beds
145 Rooms, 320 Beds, 120 Standard Rooms, 1 Room for Disabled, 11 Corner Rooms, 5 Non-Smoking Room, 12 Connected Rooms, 4 King Suites, 5 Suites, 5 Junior Suites,
Room Properties
Direct Dial Telephone, Bathroom, Telephone in bathroom, Hair Dryer, Jacuzzi, Electronic Keylock System, Fire Alarm, Minibar, Wake up service, Safety Box, Balcony, 24 hrs Room Service, TV, Satellite TV, Music Broadcast, Internet Connection, Wireless Internet , Central Air Conditioning,
Room Views
Mountain view, Garden view, Forest view,
Wining and Dining
3 Restaurant(s) Indoor cap:250, Patisserie, Snack Bar,A La Carte Restaurant 70 pax., Lobby Bar, Terrace Bar, Disco Bar, Vitamin Bar, Cuisines
Meeting
5 Meeting Room(s) Total Cap: 60, Corporate Internet Connection, Sound System, Collar microphone, Wireless Microphone, Table Microphone, Voice Recording System, Illumination System, DVD Player, VCD Player, VCR, Stage, Lectern, Music Broadcast, Simultaneous Translation System, Slide Projector, Computer Projector, Video Recording, Projection Screen, Barcovision, Overhead Projector, TV, Fax, Air conditioning,Projector.
Facilities and Services
Medical Room, Doctor, Babysitting, Services for disabled people, Wake up service, Business center, Internet, Market, Dry Cleaning, Laundry Service, Safety box at reception, Power generator, Parking lot for Parking garage for
Activities and Recreation
1 Indoor Swimming Pool with children section, Turkish Bath , Sauna, Massage, Jacuzzi, Fitness Center, Health Center, Coiffeur, Beauty Parlour, Solarium, Garden, Playing Ground for Children , Mini Club, TV Room, Night Club, Disco, Cinema,
Sports
Table Tennis, Squash, Billiards, Bowling, Horseback Riding, Skiing, Chair Lift, Jogging, Cycling, Hunting,
Nearby Attractions
Hunting,, Trekking,
Location
, On the MountainNear Ski Center Sarıkamış3 km, Erzurum 150 km, Kars Airport 54 km,

POLAT RENAISSANCE ERZURUM HOTEL

2007-10-13T07:48:00.000-07:00

Status : *****
Phone : +90 (442) 232 00 10
Fax : +90 (442) 232 00 99
Adress : 25010 PALANDÖKEN ERZURUM/TURKEY
E-Mail : palandoken@polatholding.com
Web : http://www.polatrenaissance.com

Rooms and Beds
234 Rooms, 201 Standard Rooms, 2 Room for Disabled, 17 Corner Rooms, 89 Single Rooms, 121 Double Rooms, 20 Non-Smoking Room, 20 Connected Rooms, 4 Suites,
Room Properties
Telephone, Voice Mail, Bathroom, Telephone in bathroom, Hair Dryer, Electronic Keylock System, Fire Alarm, Minibar, Wake up service, Safety Box, 24 hrs Room Service, Cable TV, Pay TV, Music Broadcast, Internet Connection, Central Heating,Central Air Condination
Room Views
Mountain view, City View,
Wining and Dining
Mangal Restaurant 80 pax.,Doruk Restaurant 180 pax., Lobby Bar, Pool Bar, Vitamin Bar,Polat Sports Bar , Turkish, International, Sea Food
Inclusive Terms
BB, FB,
Meeting
Max (sqm/pax):883/900, Min (sqm/pax):96/40, Sound System, Collar microphone, Table Microphone, Illumination System, DVD Player, VCD Player, VCR, Stage, Lectern, Music Broadcast, Slide Projector, Computer Projector, Projection Screen, Barcovision, Overhead Projector, Flipchart, TV, Writing Board, Fax, Laser Pointer,
Facilities and Services
Medical Room, Babysitting, Services for disabled people, Wake up service, Secretarial services for businessmen, Internet, Wireless Internet, Market, Dry Cleaning, Laundry Service, Safety box at reception, Power generator, Parking lot for Parking garage for
Activities and Recreation
Indoor Swimming Pool Turkish Bath , Sauna, Massage, Jacuzzi, Fitness Center, Health Center, Coiffeur, Beauty Parlour, Solarium, Gymnasium Hall, TV Room, Night Club, Disco,
Sports
Table Tennis, Billiards, Skiing, Chair Lift, Soft Animation,
Location
City Center2 km, Erzurum Airport 15 km,

The PeninsularHouse - Marathon Keys

2007-10-03T08:37:00.000-07:00

An attractive house with heated pool/spa, boat dock & beach, in a unique tucked away, completely private location.

Location: 58600 Morton Street, Marathon, Florida 33050. North end Marathon Keys, Grassy Key, Florida, USA. (Grassy Key harbor, Mile Marker 58.6 )
Accommodations: Peninsular house - 3 Bedrooms - 2 Bathrooms
Description: This florida keys vacation rental home is secluded & private, on a peninsula of land surrounded by sea on all sides. Tucked away in total privacy abutting over Grassy Key harbor, with clear interrupted sea views, it’s still just a short drive away from the City of Marathon. The Open Water Views give this home a tranquil and secluded setting. Explore the bayside waters surrounding the house by 4 kayaks and a new 2 seater paddle boat. There are 3 single kayaks and 1 double kayak for you to explore the Keys ecosystem. Enjoy the complete private seclusion of an island, with all the conveniences of being on the mainland. It's a place of pelicans, egrets and cormorants. With the occasional iguanas and racoons that live there. Many varities of fishes, sea turtles and manatees live in these waters. You can hear the dolphins squeak and whistle as they play at the Dolphin Research Center, which is across the water from the peninsularhouse. Above all its a great place to relax on the sandy beach, or in the heated spa and pool.

Attractions & Activities: There are some exceptional good restaurants on Grassy Key. In addition to many attractions on the key and nearby Duck Key. A short drive to the south is Marathon where you will find a large variety of restaurants, many overlooking the sea, plus attractions of every kind. the next key northward is Conch Key, home of many commercial fishing vessels. Everyone enjoys the day trips to the famous Key West and many like to stop off on-route to see the small Key Deer on No Name Key, located off Big Pine Key. Although you are not allowed to feed them. And.. if you like fishing the hottest ticket in town is Marathon's explosive tarpon fishing. Anglers continually marvel at the spectacular leaps, strong runs, and incredible endurance of this silver king. The Seven Mile and Bahia Honda bridges are the sites of the heaviest tarpon fishing action. Tarpon fishing is the best way for a novice angler to catch a large fish. Offshore fishing is excellent for trolling for such Gulfstream pelagic as sailfish, dolphin fish, and wahoo. Marathon provides anglers with an additional bonus, the Marathon West Hump. Rising from depths of 1,100 feet to a peak of 480 feet, this underwater platform is a veritable dinner table in the Gulfstream for gamefish, providing an excellent spot for anglers targeting blue and white marlin, Mako shark, blackfin tuna, amberjack and a host of other fish. Reef fishing in Marathon provides anglers with great fishing for yellowtail, mangrove, and mutton snapper, along with grouper, mackerel, and the ever-present barracuda. With its beautiful coral reefs, Marathon also has numerous oceanside artificial reefs. Depths of these artificial reefs range from 25-200 feet, providing a wide variety of angling opportunities for both surface, mid-depth, and bottom dwelling species. Marathon is quite different from its neighbors to the east (Key Largo and Islamorada) in that the gulfside is deeper and more open, thus creating an entirely different style of bay fishing. Literally hundreds of natural ledges, wrecks and artificial reefs (made up of old lobster traps, drums and other wreckage) are scattered throughout the bay anywhere from 5 to 15 miles north of Marathon. These spots provide fast-action fishing of mangrove snapper, Spanish mackerel, and cobia. On a day when it's just too rough to fish offshore or on the reef, the bay works as an excellent alternative, as it's comfortable even in a stiff breeze. It's the perfect choice for family fun fishing. Another exciting type of fishing, flats fishing, involves light-tackle, sight casting to such gamesters as bonefish, permit and even tarpon, as they cruise the shallows in search of a meal. Light spinning or fly casting tackle is used to target wary gamefish that require a quiet approach and delicate cast. For those who like to get off the beaten path and enjoy a wilderness fishing/sightseeing adventure, there is backcountry fishing. Just northwest of Marathon lies Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge and to Marathon's northeast lies the expansive Everglades National Park. Trips into these areas are highlighted by beautiful scenery, plentiful bird life, and for the most part, superb fishing. Regardless of the style of fishing you prefer it's wise to hire the services of a local licensed guide who knows the area and understands the movements and feeding habits of your quarry. There are many charter boats and captains available for private charter. Marathon is also home to a number of large party boats. Party boat fishing offers an angler a more economical means of enjoying a day of fishing. One party boat runs multi day, day trips to the Dry Tortugas. Seldom are reservations required. My son tells me, for diving enthusiasts the Marathon area is especially rewarding, he saw a 100 lbs Jewfish on his last dive. Included in its attractions are: Adelaide Baker - This historic shipwreck features a pair of huge stacks in only 25 feet of water, a vivid reminder of the days when steamships plied the Florida Keys. Sombrero Reef - This traditional favorite of the Marathon dive portfolio is marked by a 140-foot lighted tower. Coral canyons and archways provide refuge for schools of grunt and snapper while solitary barracuda appear to stand sentinel. Coffin's Patch - This is not a single reef but a conglomerate of six distinct patch reefs, each with a unique identity defined by a predominant coral species. For example, at Pillar Coral Patch dozens of intact pillar coral heads thrust their fuzzy polyps to snare passing nutrients. Snorkelers will especially appreciate the shallow elkhorn forests found throughout Coffin's Patch in less than 20 feet of water. Delta Shoals - Here a vast network of coral canyons fan seaward from a sandy shoal, offering wonderful opportunities for both diving and snorkeling amid elkhorn, brain, and star coral heads. The Thunderbolt - This 188-foot ship is the queen of the Marathon wreck fleet. Sunk intentionally as a dive attraction on March 3, 1986, she now sits perfectly upright in 115 feet of water. Her superstructure is coated with colorful sponge, coral, and hydroid, providing refuge and sustenance to large angelfish, jacks, and a variety of deep-water pelagic creatures. Not being of an athletic naure, I just enjoy lounging around, relaxing, enjoying the spa, interjected by an occasional nap. Its just perfect for that.

Amenities:
Air Conditioning
Fax Machine
Stereo
Barbeque
High-Speed Internet
Stove
Cable TV
Intrusion Alarm
Telephone
Ceiling Fan
Linens provided
Television
Coffee Maker
Microwave
Toaster
Dishes & Utensils
Refrigerator
VCR
Dishwasher
Washer/Dryer

Additional Amenities: All bedrooms have cable TV's with VCR. Main living room has new large 57 inch screen Sony TV, with a great sound system. Explore the surrounding waters using the 3 single and 1 double kayaks or just relax in the shade under the tiki hut alongside the heated spa & pool.

Parking: Covered Parking
Outdoor Area:
Backyard
Dock
PRIVATE Pool
Balcony
Water View
Close to Beach
Ocean View

Additional Outdoorr Area: On Grassy Key you will find the Dolphin Research Center where you can swim with the dolphins or attend one of the many shows. In fact you can just see the Dolphin Center across the water from the peninsularhouse and many times you can hear them.

View Availibility Calendar of this property 'The PeninsularHouse - Marathon Keys"

« Birds on a Wire | ゲームレビュー | Luxor: Amun Rising

2007-10-03T08:35:00.000-07:00

[Word Travels]

*説明
カードの並んでいる形こそ違え、４モードとも共通するのが「単語を作る」こと。
適切なカードを選んで単語が出来るように並べてください。単語は最低でも
３文字で構成されたものになります。長い単語、なじみの薄い単語ほどスコアが上がります。

*アルファベットのカードを並べて英単語を作っていこう！世界中を旅して周る「Shuffle」モードを含む、全4モードを搭載。英単語の勉強にもなるかも！？

動作環境（Word Travels ダウンロード版）

Word Travels is unique

2007-10-03T08:33:00.000-07:00

Finally, a destination series for travel agents that is easy to use and affordable.

Word Travels is unique in its value to travel agents.

More than 450 destination reports worldwide
Private label reports for your clients
Use the content on your website
Use the system for research
Less than $100 per year!
No other destination product offers the travel agent a complete, professional system for building your brand or providing a value added report at a price in line with the economics of the retail travel industry.

Interested? Want to give up the expensive system you now use without sacrificing the services you provide your clients?

If you are a travel agent and wish to email or print Word Travels reports, complete with your logo, to your clients, you can do so for free at www.travelresearchonline.com.

- WHAT SCHOOLS SAY -

2007-10-03T08:32:00.003-07:00

He's a fantastic performer a really excellent actor and poet. Students were impressed by the quality of the dramatic monologues. Miles establishes an instant rapport with students and gets them writing and performing in no time
- Baulkham Hills High School

He captivated the audience- children and teachers- right from the start. His workshop techniques and activities were very good. We would certainly invite him back.
- Cringila Primary School

- WHAT NEWSPAPERS SAY -

2007-10-03T08:32:00.001-07:00

Lots of performers claim to be multicultural but few straddle as many different cultures as gracefully and powerfully as Miles Merrill.
- Chicago Reader

Ultra-hip… at ease with every word and movement on stage.
- Adelaide Advertiser

Work like this gives lie to the stereotype of a passive, button-pressing generation, and the other stereotype of poetry as a dead, musty form. This work is passionate, deeply enjoyable and demands attention. More please.
- Sydney Morning Herald

Word Travels + Miles Merrill

2007-10-03T08:31:00.000-07:00

Born in Chicago, Miles Merrill is the son of a Black Panther father and a mother whose family tree dates back to British-American Colonialism. His mother’s ancestors enslaved his father’s. The tension of embattled generations twists it’s way through the work of this one man. The hit of Sydney Festival 2005 with his show Slamming and guest of this year's Sydney Writers Festival, Miles Merrill is Australia's spoken-word tour de force. Miles combines elements of theatre, hip-hop, slam poetry and music, flinging words in a rapid fire onslaught of versified emotion. His CD What Night Knows, can be heard on JJJ, ABC Radio National, and Sydney’ s FBI Radio

Mozambique Travel Guide

2007-10-03T08:30:00.002-07:00

Situated on the southeastern coast of Africa, Mozambique has persevered through a violent civil war and terrible floods, and is emerging from a ruinous past to once again stake its claim as one of the jewels of Africa.

The 1,500 miles (2,500km) of palm-fringed coastline is washed by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean and graced with long white beaches, excellent coral reefs and strings of pristine islands. The idyllic Bazaruto archipelago, off the coast of Inhambane province, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country, consisting of four main islands that make up one of the most beautiful places on the continent. The islands offer a classic tropical getaway, with superb fishing, water sports, shaded beaches, surf, and a marine park offering outstanding diving and snorkelling opportunities.

Attracted by rumours of pearls in the 1700s, the Portuguese established the capital city of Lourenzo Marques, or Maputo as it is known today, in the southern reaches of the country. It became one of the most stylish cities in Africa, with broad avenues lined with jacaranda and acacia trees, sidewalks paved with mosaics, tall buildings and a unique Mediterranean/African atmosphere that attracted a wealthy cosmopolitan crowd. The civil war left the city in a dismal state of disrepair, and although still tainted by shabbiness, Maputo is slowly recovering some of its former glory, and today the bustling capital reveals many Portuguese-style colonial buildings, and offers culture and old world charm, along with numerous places to enjoy Mozambique's famous peri-peri prawns.

Lying just off the coast of Maputo is the popular Inhaca Island, which has extensive coral reefs, a fascinating maritime museum and historical lighthouse. Most of the wildlife reserves are located in the central and southern parts of the country, with the exception of the important Niassa Reserve on the northern Tanzania border, and although largely decimated during the civil war, they are currently being restocked and improved with large populations of elephant, buffalo and antelope. North of Maputo there are beautiful beaches and a number of centres that offer some of the best fishing in the world, particularly the areas around Guinjata Bay and the Mozambique Channel.

Mali Travel Guide

2007-10-03T08:30:00.001-07:00

Mali, one of the poorest countries in the world, is rich in mystery and majesty, offering some of Africa's most fascinating cultural sites and spectacular surreal scenery.

The landlocked Republic is the largest country in West Africa, surrounded by seven other states and traversed, in its central and south-eastern sector, by the great Niger River.

The country's best known city is the fabled Timbuktu, in ancient times the powerful, wealthy centre of Mali's Mandinka Empire, and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is in danger of being swallowed up by the desert sands. Mali's importance waned in the 16th century as the trans-Saharan caravan trading routes lost ground to European sea traders. Imperial power in Mali was replaced by French colonialism and ultimately, in 1960, independence, which has failed to bring prosperity. The Niger River is the centre of industry and commerce, vital for the livelihood of a nation whose people are overwhelmingly poor farmers and fishermen.

As Africa opens up to travellers, however, Mali is once again featuring large on the map, with its variety of unusual sights and experiences, from camel treks through stunning desert landscapes to hikes along the Bandiagara Escarpment where the Dogon people live, steeped in their unique mythology and art. In the medieval city of Djenne tourists marvel at the exquisite mosque, largest mud building in the world, and centre of the country's predominant Islamic faith. Even the modern capital, Bamako, offers exotic sights and sounds among its dusty streets, and a wonderful National Museum. Many visitors opt for the lively town of Mopti, built on three islands, where the market is just bursting with arts and crafts and from whence river cruisers set out along the Niger.

The name Timbuktu has long been colloquially used in English and other languages to denote the epitome of nowhere. A trip to Mali today, however, is certainly not a dead end but an intriguing journey of discovery.

Malawi Travel Guide

2007-10-03T08:29:00.002-07:00

Promoted as the ‘Warm Heart of Africa’, Malawi is a long, thin country renowned for the unequalled friendliness of its people, unspoilt national parks and wildlife reserves, and the beaches and tropical fish life of Lake Malawi, the third largest lake in Africa. It is dominated by the vast lake, as well as the Great Rift Valley that cuts through the country from north to south, creating fertile valleys, cool mountains and verdant plateaus.

Lake Malawi is an irresistible attraction for travellers, with its beaches, resorts, watersports and outstanding variety of fish life a magnet for divers and snorkellers. The lake is home to a bigger variety of fish species than any other freshwater lake on earth, most of them protected within the Lake Malawi National Park at its southern tip. Most visitors head for the small, restful village at Cape Maclear, which along with its offshore islands, is part of the park. Equally popular, Nkhata Bay to the north has bays, beaches and various water activities. Spread along the length of the lakeshore are numerous traditional fishing villages, and the fishermen in their dugout canoes form a quintessential postcard silhouette against the spectacular golden sunset.

Malawi is also blessed with numerous game reserves and national parks that are uncrowded, well stocked with animals and a renowned variety of birdlife, and offer a unique wilderness experience. The northern Nyika Plateau, at around 7,500ft (2,300m), is one of the world’s highest game reserves and is a remote area located in the most unspoilt and least visited part of the country, with beautiful grasslands and waterfalls, the highest concentration of leopard in Central Africa, and famous for its abundant orchid species. To the south the best-known park is Liwonde National Park with thousands of hippos and crocodiles on the banks of the Shire River, as well as large numbers of elephants, zebra and antelope.

The southern part of the country is the most developed and the most populated. Although Lilongwe is the capital, the region is home to Malawi’s largest city and main commercial centre, Blantyre, which is a good base for visiting two of the area’s attractions – the vast massif of Mt Mulunje, offering some of the finest hiking trails in the country, and Zomba Plateau.

Malawi has remained peaceful for over a century, unaffected by war and internal strife that has torn many other African countries apart, and although poor and densely populated, the country offers visitors a wealth of scenic highlights, culture and activities.

Madagascar Travel Guide

2007-10-03T08:29:00.001-07:00

A land unlike any other, Madagascar is an enticing destination for those who find its lack of modern conveniences, tourist infrastructure and efficient transport system an interesting proposition rather than a problem.

The fourth largest island in the world, Madagascar is one of the most bio-diverse countries on earth, home to thousands of species of plant and animal life of which about 80 percent cannot be found anywhere else on the planet. Lying off the east coast of Africa, Madagascar is very different from its African neighbour, and its uniqueness in the world has led some to class it as the Eighth Continent.

Madagascar is world famous for its lemurs, of which there are about 50 different types, ranging from the unusual to the utterly bizarre. Lemurs are endemic to the island and generally resemble a cross between a monkey and a squirrel; but lemurs are not the only curious creatures inhabiting this exotic realm. Dwarf chameleons, Tomato frogs, giant jumping rats and hedgehog-like tenrecs are among the host of peculiar indigenous fauna, while the country's isolation has developed plants with remarkable shapes such as the swollen Baobab, Madagascar's national tree, and the spiny forest that exhibits an incomparable ecosystem. Wilderness areas such as Isalo National Park and Tsingy Nature Reserve are wonderful places to discover Madagascar's exotic fauna, flora and striking geological features.

Besides this natural wonderland, Madagascar also has its share of beautiful beaches and wonderful coral reefs, such as those found on the cluster of islands off the north east coast. Best known is Nossi Bé; while Ile Ste-Marie off the east coast, and Toliara in the south, are also major attractions for divers, snorkellers and sunbathers. The bustling capital, and first and last stop for visitors arriving by air, is Antananarivo, or 'Tana', which has a distinctly French flavour and is an excellent place to shop for Malagasy arts and crafts. Go looking for the unexpected and be ready to mingle with a warm-hearted nation, and you will find an undeniably fascinating destination that makes for a refreshingly different sort of holiday under the tropical sunshine.

Egypt Travel Guide

2007-10-03T08:28:00.000-07:00

Egypt is synonymous with Pharaohs, the pyramids, temples and antiquities from ancient civilisations. And at the centre of these great civilisations lies the Nile River that has influenced their economics, social life, politics and religion. It is the oldest travel destination on earth: Greek and Roman travellers came in 430 BC to wonder at some of the very sights that make it a modern travel destination today. The magnificence of the painted Valley of the Kings, exquisite temples and the pyramids were all sought-after subjects of admiration, and many were already 2,500 years old!

From desert landscapes and dry, rugged mountains that reach to the sea, dusty cities full of exotic sounds and smells, and green strips of agricultural land snaking along the banks of the Nile, Egypt has something to offer all travellers from all walks of life. Spectacular diving in the Red Sea; unique desert experiences, whether on the back of a camel to Mount Sinai or on a jeep safari to the inner oases; the colour and chaos of Cairo and its markets; and felucca cruises on the Nile River are just some of the exotic attractions awaiting visitors. Egypt promises an unforgettable experience of history and relaxation - a mixture of discovery and pleasure.

Tokyo Travel Guide

2007-09-28T13:11:00.000-07:00

Why? There are a myriad reasons why Japan's capital city, Tokyo, is becoming one of the world's most exciting destinations. It is bursting with excellent restaurants; its nightspots are among the hottest to be found anywhere; shops stay open day and night; the crime rate is virtually non-existent, there are ancient sights around every corner and the public transport is arguably the most efficient in the world.

When? The seasons in Tokyo are extreme, so the best time to travel to Tokyo is during the milder months of autumn or spring. Summers are very hot and humid, and winters can be freezing.

Who for? A holiday in Tokyo is definitely not advised for the agoraphobic, but those seeking a sophisticated get-away with a touch of genteel oriental culture will thrive in this seething metropolis, and those who need some retail therapy will be refreshed and rejuvenated if they travel to Tokyo.
More Info: To start planning a business trip or Tokyo holiday read our detailed Tokyo travel guide. The Tokyo travel guide lists all the city's attractions and best restaurants. The Basics section contains valuable information for your Tokyo holiday, from how much to tip waiters to how to phone home. The travel guide can be printed out or emailed to a friend using our Email and Print tools.

Tokyo Overview
As a modern city Tokyo, capital of Japan, could be described as too good to be true. People dress in the latest gear, excellent restaurants serve up delicious food of all varieties, and the trendiest nightclubs keep things hopping. The public transport system is punctual and one of the most efficient in the world; and shops and vending machines provide necessities and luxuries both day and night. Best of all, experiencing the best of what this city has to offer is inexpensive and often free. All this is achieved in a city that is home to 12 million people, amid the confusion of bumper-to-bumper traffic, flickering neon signs and a crush of humanity packing subways and sidewalks. In the crush and rush Tokyo remains, remarkably, one of the world's safest cities with a low crime rate and local people who are only too willing to spare the time and effort to assist a stranger.

With such a dense population, Tokyo is an urban maze of buildings that jostle for space in an unplanned jumble of grey concrete, which makes it ugly and drab. The city fills a huge area that seems to go on forever, with no specific city centre, but rather a succession of districts grouped together. In the back streets, where timber houses line narrow lanes, there are reminders that this is exotic Japan: kimono-clad women prune bonsai trees and colourful neighbourhood festivals take place.

The more one explores Tokyo the more it becomes obvious that one cannot judge a book by its cover. Inside the modern buildings the cultural life of Japan is very much alive and well. Interiors reflect the tranquil minimalist oriental style and taste of Japan.

The city is an exuberant experience for visitors. It also hosts many museums and is the largest repository of Japanese art in the world. Then, of course, it would take forever to exhaust the shopping possibilities in this megalopolis.

Japan Travel Guide

2007-09-28T13:10:00.000-07:00

It is only comparatively recently that Japan came out of the shell of its isolation, but the country of genteel geisha girls and pink cherry blossom has made up for lost time. There are few people in the western world who have not driven a Japanese car, eaten sushi or played on a GameBoy or Sony Playstation.

The nation of Japan consists of an island archipelago stretching from northeast to southwest off the coast of mainland China, Russia and Korea, separated from its Asian neighbours by the Sea of Japan. Between 1639 and 1859 Japan elected to cut itself off from trade or traffic with the rest of the world, except for some marginal contact through the southern Kyushu island ports. Since opening up its doors once more, just 150 years ago, the densely populated islands have developed in leaps and bounds and much of the country is now covered by sprawling neon-lit cities and the world's most sophisticated public transport networks.

Modern it may be, but Japan still retains plenty of its mystical oriental charm. From the etiquette demanded in social situations, to the minimalist décor behind rice paper screens, Japanese culture is alive and well and cannot be ignored, which makes a visit to Japan a fascinating experience.

The modern metropolises are dotted with a myriad of ancient shrines and temples; the countryside is riddled with hundreds of volcanoes and hot springs overlooking pastoral paddy fields; parks are festooned with rigidly raked white gravel Zen gardens or coated with layers of lilac and cherry blossom.

Japan's islands are mountainous in the interior - 75 percent of the country's landmass is made up of mountains - and most of the people are tightly packed within the limitations of the coastal plains, particularly on the main island of Honshu. Tokyo, the capital and largest city, situated on Honshu's east coast, has a population of 12 million. Despite this seething mass of humanity Japan is well ordered. Everything runs on time, and crime levels are almost non-existent. It is still possible to find beautiful vistas and wide empty spaces in the countryside, and when you are forced to mingle with the urban throngs you will find the Japanese to be charming, courteous and friendly to foreign faces.

London Travel Guide

2007-09-16T13:59:00.000-07:00

Why? England's historic capital was the centre of the British Empire for generations, and is imbued with a sense of history. Modern London has retained its ancient heritage and remains the focus of world events. Anyone wishing to understand and explore the origins of Western culture will revel in a holiday in London, where traditional attractions still amaze and astound.

When? London is famed for its abundance of rain and fog, so an umbrella is a necessity when planning to travel to London on holiday any time of year. The best time to holiday in London is during spring (May and June) when the parks erupt in a profusion of flowering bulbs, or autumn, when the trees turn into golden hues and skies are often a murky blue. The long summer evenings make June and July good months to travel, although public transport can become oppressive on hot days. Winters are gloomy, dark and cold.

Who for? A holiday in London is enjoyable for anyone and everyone. Families with children can visit numerous entertaining attractions, from the Tower of London with its bloody history to the London Dungeon and Madame Tussaud's waxworks museum or the London Eye with its stunning vistas of the city. Couples can enjoy the restaurants and nightlife, see a West End show, and explore the markets and famous shopping streets.

More Info: Our London travel guide includes recent reviews of where to eat and what to do in London, whether on holiday or business. The Basics section includes essential advice for international travellers on entry requirements, customs, currency, tipping and more.

London Overview

Whether you arrive in London via the underground or inside one of the city's ubiquitous black taxicabs, you will immediately be greeted by a deep sense of history and met with the unique vibrancy of this incredible destination.

In its dark and troubled past, the city of London has survived Roman occupancy, sackings from the Celts, Romans, Vikings and Saxons, a Norman invasion, two great fires, the bubonic plague, Nazi bombings, the Spice Girls and Damien Hirst.

But the London of today promises something for everyone. The London Eye lifts visitors high above the river into vistas that stretch tight across the fading skies. Further down on the South Bank, the Tate Modern contains one of the world's most incredible collections of Modern Art, while the city's 30,000 stores and boutiques will exhaust even the most avid shopper, and its 6,000 restaurants are only too eager to demonstrate why Britons revere their chefs as celebrities

For those interested in exploring the country's heritage, the Tower of London is an excellent starting point. First constructed in the 11th century, the Tower has been rebuilt several times as later monarchs have left their mark. Still one of London's biggest attractions, and a great celebration of pomp that is free to all visitors is the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, which happens daily.

As the great dome of St Paul's reflects the colours of the setting sun, London comes alive with an unrivalled nightlife. For those up for something more thrilling than dinner and the theatre, London has a vast number of bars and nightclubs catering to all tastes.

United Kingdom Travel Guide

2007-09-16T13:58:00.000-07:00

It may seem hard to believe that this small, cold, wet island once held dominion over three quarters of the globe. The pomp and circumstance of previous centuries may have dwindled and the monarchy takes daily batterings in the local press, yet the UK and its people remain a fiercely proud nation. The past 100 years have seen a vast transformation as the country came to terms with its diminished role on the world stage, from colonial empire to a member of the EU.

The United Kingdom is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the geography sweeps from mountainous highlands, to green and pleasant rolling countryside and vibrant cities. The country is jam-packed with two millennia of heritage, making visits of any length of time feel too short.

London is the UK's biggest city, a fantastic and frenetic metropolis teeming with people of all races, creeds and walks of life. Here the old contrasts spectacularly with the new, offering some of the world's most famous sights and an unrivalled nightlife. Travelling through the country will reveal its diversity, from quiet country lanes and inland waterways to majestic stately homes and castles. Thatched cottages in the Cotswolds paint a picture-postcard quaintness, where life appears to revolve around the village pub.

The medieval cathedral cities of York and Durham reveal a rich history of a bygone age, while the industrial cities of Liverpool and Newcastle both harbour an exciting nightlife. The beauty of the Lake District remains almost untouched, and Edinburgh's International Arts Festival draws talent from around the world.

Rome Travel Guide

2007-09-16T13:56:00.000-07:00

Why? Hundreds of thousands of visitors travel to Rome on holiday every year to steep themselves in the remnants of the ancient Roman Empire, glory in the artistic treasures of the Vatican City, and gorge on pasta and pizza as fountains play in dozens of pretty piazzas.When?

The best time to travel to Rome is during the spring (April and May) when the city experiences lovely warm holiday weather with plenty of sunshine and blue skies. The height of summer (July and August) can be uncomfortably hot for foot-slogging sightseers.Who for? Travel to Rome if you are a serious tourist, intent on seeing some of the world's greatest historical sites. For Catholics a visit to Rome is beyond a holiday, more of an unforgettable pilgrimage to the Vatican City, and even non-Christians are awed by Michelangelo's frescoes in the Sistine Chapel. Art-lovers will find marvels on every street corner.More Info: Our Rome travel guide is the best way to begin your acquaintance with 'the eternal city'.
The Rome travel guide contains all you need to know to plan a holiday in Rome, from entry requirements to how to get around, details of the top attractions and suggestions on where to eat.

Russia Travel Guide

2007-09-16T13:43:00.000-07:00

As Russia moves forward into the 21st century, it leaves behind a turbulent history of tyranny and a crippled economy: from Ivan the Terrible to Peter the Great, from the fall of the tsars to the dictatorship of the Soviet government. Today it is a nation embracing its newfound freedom and future potential, whilst enjoying a renewal of the rich cultural heritage of its past.

Despite the visible effects of hardship and economic disparity, and its previous isolation from the rest of the world, travellers will encounter a country of enormous diversity and vitality, with cultural treasures and historical monuments, great imperial cities and glittering cathedrals. Visitors will experience the enchantment of Tchaikovsky, the Kirov and Bolshoi Ballet, and marvel at priceless Russian icons and the unique style of decorative onion-domed architecture.

Most westerners associate Russia with the great imperial centres of Moscow and St Petersburg, and although these two cities, the capital and the beautiful ‘Venice of the North’ are a must-see, they are a mere scratching on the surface of this vast and varied land. Straddling two continents and 11 time zones, the Russian Federation is the largest country on earth, nearly twice the size of the United States of America. Within this impressive expanse lie natural wonders such as Lake Baikal, the deepest lake in the world, and beautiful mountains, rivers and forests abounding with wildlife as well as timeless traditional villages scattered across the Siberian landscape.

Visitors taking the opportunity to explore Russia will not be disappointed: its impressive museums, overwhelming sense of history, culture and unspoilt wilderness will leave one with a desire to see more.

Hungary Travel Guide

2007-09-16T13:40:00.000-07:00

Hungary's location in the centre of Europe along with its hospitable attitude makes it one of the best places from which to embark on an Eastern European journey. It is both European and distinctly Hungarian, incorporating a mixture of history and the present-day. The country proudly upholds its Magyar traditions, culture and arts, but is attentive to what is new and fashionable in the outside world.
A small landlocked country sharing its borders with seven neighbouring countries, Hungary was originally inhabited by the Magyars, an equestrian nomadic tribe. They were eventually converted to Christianity and in the year 1000 their Prince Stephen was crowned the nation's first ruler. Since then Hungary has seen numerous dynastic changes, from Turkish occupation to the era of Communism, and today quaint little towns, cities and ruins in the countryside bear the marks of this turbulent history with a rich mosaic of architectural styles and fortified hilltop castles. The Hungarian people, neither Slavic nor Germanic, are formal, reserved and intensely proud of their ancient nation and its cosmopolitan capital, Budapest.

Most visitors arrive in Budapest, situated on a lovely stretch of the Danube, the river that invokes feelings of romantic enchantment and musical memories. It is a city of culture and of astounding beauty and grace, and visitors are drawn to its enchanting magnetism. Outside of the capital the plains, rolling hills and rivers, lakes and vineyards hold much to offer the visitor. The Baroque town and fine wines of Eger, historical riverside villages along the Danube Bend, commanding fortresses, castles and palaces, the resort-lined Lake Balaton and the thermal spas and volcanically heated lake at Hévíz are just some of the country's many highlights awaiting discovery.

Cyprus Travel Guide

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There is a great deal packed into a small space on the island of Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean. Not only does it abound with good beaches and holiday resorts, but its relatively tiny landmass is riddled with the relics of ancient history, from the beehive huts of primitive man to classical Greek and Roman ruins, and everything imaginable in-between.

A thousand years is but a blip in time in the long history of Cyprus, but it was that long ago that the city of Nicosia (also known as Lefkosia) became its capital. Today Nicosia is unique in Europe because it is divided by the 'green line' that bisects the whole island, dividing north from south. The line, which serves as a United Nations peacekeeping buffer, was drawn in 1974, when the Turks invaded and took over the north. Most of the tourism development since then has taken place in the southern Government-controlled sector, and the political divide, even in Nicosia itself, has not dampened the island's appeal as a holiday Mecca.

The charms of Cyprus are many and varied. For a start the weather is sunny and dry for most of the year, and the encircling sea is blue, clear and enticing. There are modern luxury hotels in the coastal resort towns, historic restored city precincts to explore, tavernas and nightlife aplenty. Cyprus has remote picturesque mountain villages and monasteries, beautiful churches, Crusader castles and fascinating museums. The local people are extremely welcoming of tourists, happy to share with them their innate love of life and camaraderie. In Cyprus it is possible to mingle with crowds, or seek isolation off the beaten track as the mood takes, even in peak holiday season. For this reason the island is also a favoured destination for honeymooners, a reputation enhanced by the fact that legend has it that Cyprus was where Aphrodite, Greek goddess of love, rose from the sea.

Vienna Travel Guide

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Why? It is an ornate yet stately city where the strains of the great classical composers who lived and worked here seem to seep from the stones along with olde world charm.
This is why a holiday in Vienna is enough to inspire anyone to hum the 'Blue Danube' and waltz around the sights before they head for the woods to end the day in the cosy atmosphere of a traditional wine tavern.When? The loveliest times of year to travel to Vienna is in spring and autumn, when the weather is beautiful and the peak tourist season is beginning and ending. Easter sees the start of the summer season, which brings hordes of people to holiday in Vienna.Who for?
The whole family can find fun and fascination on a Vienna holiday, with plenty of sights to see from the performing stallions of the Spanish Riding School and the thrills of the Prater amusement park to the opulence of the Schonnbrun Palace.More Info: Use our Vienna travel guide to plan a holiday in Vienna. The guide contains details of the main attractions, events and excursions, as well as restaurant recommendations, and can be printed out to take with you when you travel to Vienna.

Vienna Overview
It is difficult not to be moved to hum a Brahms lullaby or a Strauss waltz as you explore the sights of Austria's beautiful Baroque capital, Vienna, which for centuries was the centre of the splendid Hapsburg Empire. The city remains infused with the grand imperial spirit in the form of magnificent palaces and grand mansions peppering the Innerestadt. The city's cultural heritage is mainly musical, the great classical composers like Strauss, Brahms, Beethoven, Schubert, Haydn and Mozart all having lived and performed here. Today the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the State Opera House help keep alive the city's tradition by offering more classical music performances a year than any other city in the world.
Vienna is a city of music, but it is also synonymous with gourmet fare, cream cakes, superb coffee, the angelic strains of the Vienna Boys' Choir and the proud prancing of the Lippizaner stallions at the world-famous Spanish Riding School.

Vienna started out as a Celtic settlement on the banks of the Danube and became one of the Roman's most important central European bases. Its central location on the strategic river contributed to the city becoming a mighty empire, reaching its peak during the tumultuous reign of the dazzling Hapsburg dynasty. At the end of the 19th century the golden age of empire began to decline as Vienna's coffee houses filled with radical intellectuals like Freud, Klimt and Mahler. The Second World War Nazi occupation left scars, but Vienna survived it all to remain a captivating capital that blends Italian romanticism with a Germanic orderliness.
Most of the city's tourist attractions are within the largely pedestrianised inner city area, which was once enclosed by the city walls. The walls have been replaced with the Ringstrasse, a wide ring road. Further out in the suburbs is the thrilling Prater amusement park with its massive ferris wheel, and the opulent Schonbrunn summer palace. Visitors also should not miss a trip to the Vienna Woods, peppered with ancient 'heuringen' (wine taverns).

Austria Travel Guide

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Landlocked in the heart of Europe, Austria runs from the Alps in the west down to Vienna and the Danube in the east. For six centuries it was the heart of the mighty Hapsburg Empire, which at its peak included what is now Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic along with much of Romania, Bulgaria and the Balkans. The country's imperial inheritance is particularly striking in the grand buildings and cultural institutions of the Baroque-flavoured capital, Vienna, resplendent with palaces and captivating churches, cosy coffeehouses and inns, and grand ballrooms where Strauss waltzes still draw dancers onto the floor.

Another of the great classical composers spawned by Austria was Mozart, born in Salzburg, a beautiful historic city where stunning Baroque churches rise up against the backdrop of the Austrian Alps. The Alps stretch west to Switzerland and in winter skiers come from all continents to carve the slopes and experience the charm of the alpine villages and their welcoming inhabitants.

The charm of Austria may lie in its preservation of a romantic classical past, but this does not mean modern Austria has stood back from development. Behind the stunning scenery and antique architecture a vibrant industrial and commercial society goes about its business in the cities and towns. Austrians work hard, but they also know how to play hard. Austrian hospitality and cuisine are legendary. From a cruise on the magnificent Danube River to a cycle tour through the Alpine meadows or a breath-taking day's sightseeing in busy Vienna, visitors to Austria find it impossible to fit in a dull moment.

Andorra Travel Guide

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Andorra Travel Guide

Skiing in Andorra
Andorra is a tiny dot on the map; an independent Principality dwarfed by France and Spain, most famous for being a tax haven and a popular tourist destination peppered with summer and winter resorts.
Following centuries of struggle between the counts and the bishops of Urgell for the surrounding valleys, Andorra came into being in 1278, when the Spanish bishop of La Seu d'Urgell, and the French House of Foix established co-sovereignty of the area. The French and Spanish continued to tussle over the region and it was only in 1993 that it officially became an independent state, obtaining its first written constitution. With this mixed history, it is no surprise that true Andorrans are a minority in their own country; Spaniards, French and Portuguese make up the majority of the population.
The country occupies 181 square miles (468 sq km) and is mountainous and beautiful, dotted with lakes, forests, and three major rivers. Scenery, flora and fauna are typical of the Pyrenees region. Its principal and most populated town is Andorra la Vella and there are several museums and monuments to explore, including a Miniature Museum, a Perfume museum and an Ethnographic museum. The principal reason, however, for visits to Andorra is for the excellent skiing. The country boasts several major ski resorts, including GrandValira (formerly called Soldeu/El Tartar) and VallNord (formerly Arcalis/Ordino), which cater for all types of skiers.
If skiing is not for you, however, Andorra also offers plenty of hiking opportunities, horse riding, golfing, relaxing in some fine restaurants and cafes, and of course some excellent duty-free shopping.