An Air India Airbus A-321 aborted takeoff today at Mumbai International Airport as three VIP helicopters landed on the runway. One of the helicopters was carrying Indian President Pratibha Patil. It is being reported that the quick reactions of the pilot of the Air India flight averted a near disaster. As of now airport officials are blaming Mumbai air traffic controllers for the near miss.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Top 10 Events February 2009
That Samba feeling is in the air, the need to express oneself and overcome the rain of depression that surrounds most of our lives around the globe in January. Yes its Carnival time for a host of countries around the Planet and of course Rio De Janeiro still wears the crown.
The origins of Carnival festivities in Rio de Janeiro date a long way back to 1723. It was immigrants from the Portuguese islands of Açores, Madeira and Cabo Verde that introduced the Entrudo to Rio.
The concept was fundamentally to get everybody soaking wet! People of all walks of life (even Emperors) would literally go out in the streets armed with buckets of water and limes. Nobody could escape a potential water shower, as everybody or anybody was a potential victim. Then it was curiously reported that a woman was arrested in 1855 for throwing a lime at Dom Pedro I's escorts. Soon authorities frowned upon the lack of restraints concerning the Entrudo fun and eventually it was sadly outlawed.
Grandes Sociedades or Great Societies was a more organized parade that debuted in 1855, with the presence of the Emperor himself. A group of 80 aristocrats in masks paraded with luxury costumes, music, and flowers. It was a big success. Democráticos, Fenianos and Tenentes do Diabo were the three most well-known groups.
Cordão Carnavalesco is a concept that started in 1870. here there were characters like queens, kings, witches, peasants and dancers. They performed according to the costumes they were wearing. There were also the Cordões de Velhos, where participants would wear huge papier-mâché masks and walk in an old man's gait.
Today the Carnival Rio is the “Carnival capital of the world“ and features as our leading worldwide event for February 2009.
Rio Carnival - Rio De Janeiro, Brazil 20th February – 24th February
No need of an introduction, Rio Carnival is celebrated by all from the most humble of villages to the most luxurious of Homes! Everyone joins in and celebrates in style! Simply put, it’s a 4 day celebration, 40 days before Easter. It officially starts on Saturday 20th February and finishes on Fat Tuesday with the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday, with all that partying out of the way you would most definitely need to de–tox!
Further Information: www.rio-carnival.net
Dubai Desert Classic – Dubai UAE 26th January - 1st February
Special Golf clinics will be held from Thursday (Jan 29) to Sunday (Feb 1) in two sessions where all amateur golfers, irrespective of their handicaps, can register and learn the finer points of the game from Emirates Golf Club professionals -- David Adams and Stephen Deane. Prize money 2.5 million.
Further Information: www.dubaidesertclassic.com
Joaquín Cortés Unleashed - London 4th February - 5th February
Choreographer to the stars and Flamenco-favorite Joaquín Cortés began his dance career with the National Ballet of Spain. Cortés performs with his band of 13 singers and musicians playing contemporary Flamenco on flute, violin, drums and bass in addition to traditional Flamenco guitar. He formed his own Flamenco Ballet Company in 1992 and has since performed sell-out shows internationally. So if you are in London don’t miss out of this Flamenco Star!
Further Information: www.visitlondon.com
Harbin Ice and Snow World 5th January – 5th February 2009
Harbin is the capital of Heilongjiang Province, in north-east China. The city of Harbin makes the most of its freezing winters by hosting an impressive ice festival in Zhaolin Park. Blocks of ice are carved into sculptures and buildings lit from within, to create a glittering “Ice and Snow World”. The best collections of ice artworks are exhibited in the following 5 main places:
Harbin Ice & Snow World – The Sun Island Scenic Area – Yabuli International Ski Resort – The Ice Lantern Garden party and Zhaolin Park.
Further Information www.travelchinaguide.com
Catania, Sicily, Italy: Festa di Sant Agata 3rd - 5th February
The Feast of St. Agatha is the most important religious festival in the city of Catania and is celebrated in honor of the cities patron saint. The event is held every year from the 3rd - 5th February and again on the 17th August. Around 40,000 people attend the festival from locals to Tourists, in addition to neighboring countries.
Further Information: www.sicilyweb.com
Bob Marley’s Birthday Bash – Nine Mile Jamaica 6th February
Bob Marley was born on Feb. 6, 1945 in Nine Mile, ST. Anns Jamaica; Nine mile is also the logical location for the reggae party of the year, which is held on his birthday annually. Thousands of Fans and Party goers turn out to celebrate the life, dreams, creativity and music of Bob Marley. A number of gigs are held throughout.
Further Information: www.rastaites.com
St Valentines – Worldwide 14th February
When a women says she doesn’t want anything, the man must be savvy and understand that actually she really does! A women likes to feel special and expectations are high on this romantic day, so the pressure is on guys! Wherever you are and whatever you may be doing make time to surprise your loved one, it’s not all about flowers and chocolates (clothing, a nice weekend away or a lovely bottle of perfume is also perfectly acceptable)
Further Information: Sharon.mckinley@progress-services.com
Daytona 500 - Daytona Beach, Florida, USA 15th February
Also known as "The Great American Race", The Daytona 500 is unquestionably the biggest, richest and most prestigious motor sports event in America. A 200-lap, 500 miles (800 km) long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race is held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach.
Further Information: www.daytona500.com
Abu Simbel Festival - Egypt 22nd February
The Abu Simbel Sun Festival at Aswan, Egypt is observed twice every year on 22nd of February and on 22nd of October respectively. These dates mark the Emperor’s birthday and his ascension to the throne. Next to the Pyramids of Giza, Abu Simbel is perhaps the most recognized monument of ancient Egypt. The two temples built for the Pharaoh Ramesses II have been attracting visitors since Victorian times. During the Abu Simbel Festival, crowds fill the temple at sunrise to watch the shafts of light slowly creeping through the stone, illuminating the statues of Ramses, Ra and Amun and providing a spectacular sight.
Further Information: www.egypt.com
Dubrovnik Carnival – Dubrovnik February 2009
Dubrovnik Carnival dates back to the 14th century and maintains many of the original traditions to this day. People gather from surrounding areas to dress up in garish costumes, parading down the streets to the sound of trumpets and drums. Jousting competitions take place in the city centre, with men on horseback carrying lances aimed for a silver ring tied to a rope above the horse trail.
Further Information: www.dubrovnik-online.com
The origins of Carnival festivities in Rio de Janeiro date a long way back to 1723. It was immigrants from the Portuguese islands of Açores, Madeira and Cabo Verde that introduced the Entrudo to Rio.
The concept was fundamentally to get everybody soaking wet! People of all walks of life (even Emperors) would literally go out in the streets armed with buckets of water and limes. Nobody could escape a potential water shower, as everybody or anybody was a potential victim. Then it was curiously reported that a woman was arrested in 1855 for throwing a lime at Dom Pedro I's escorts. Soon authorities frowned upon the lack of restraints concerning the Entrudo fun and eventually it was sadly outlawed.
Grandes Sociedades or Great Societies was a more organized parade that debuted in 1855, with the presence of the Emperor himself. A group of 80 aristocrats in masks paraded with luxury costumes, music, and flowers. It was a big success. Democráticos, Fenianos and Tenentes do Diabo were the three most well-known groups.
Cordão Carnavalesco is a concept that started in 1870. here there were characters like queens, kings, witches, peasants and dancers. They performed according to the costumes they were wearing. There were also the Cordões de Velhos, where participants would wear huge papier-mâché masks and walk in an old man's gait.
Today the Carnival Rio is the “Carnival capital of the world“ and features as our leading worldwide event for February 2009.
Rio Carnival - Rio De Janeiro, Brazil 20th February – 24th February
No need of an introduction, Rio Carnival is celebrated by all from the most humble of villages to the most luxurious of Homes! Everyone joins in and celebrates in style! Simply put, it’s a 4 day celebration, 40 days before Easter. It officially starts on Saturday 20th February and finishes on Fat Tuesday with the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday, with all that partying out of the way you would most definitely need to de–tox!
Further Information: www.rio-carnival.net
Dubai Desert Classic – Dubai UAE 26th January - 1st February
Special Golf clinics will be held from Thursday (Jan 29) to Sunday (Feb 1) in two sessions where all amateur golfers, irrespective of their handicaps, can register and learn the finer points of the game from Emirates Golf Club professionals -- David Adams and Stephen Deane. Prize money 2.5 million.
Further Information: www.dubaidesertclassic.com
Joaquín Cortés Unleashed - London 4th February - 5th February
Choreographer to the stars and Flamenco-favorite Joaquín Cortés began his dance career with the National Ballet of Spain. Cortés performs with his band of 13 singers and musicians playing contemporary Flamenco on flute, violin, drums and bass in addition to traditional Flamenco guitar. He formed his own Flamenco Ballet Company in 1992 and has since performed sell-out shows internationally. So if you are in London don’t miss out of this Flamenco Star!
Further Information: www.visitlondon.com
Harbin Ice and Snow World 5th January – 5th February 2009
Harbin is the capital of Heilongjiang Province, in north-east China. The city of Harbin makes the most of its freezing winters by hosting an impressive ice festival in Zhaolin Park. Blocks of ice are carved into sculptures and buildings lit from within, to create a glittering “Ice and Snow World”. The best collections of ice artworks are exhibited in the following 5 main places:
Harbin Ice & Snow World – The Sun Island Scenic Area – Yabuli International Ski Resort – The Ice Lantern Garden party and Zhaolin Park.
Further Information www.travelchinaguide.com
Catania, Sicily, Italy: Festa di Sant Agata 3rd - 5th February
The Feast of St. Agatha is the most important religious festival in the city of Catania and is celebrated in honor of the cities patron saint. The event is held every year from the 3rd - 5th February and again on the 17th August. Around 40,000 people attend the festival from locals to Tourists, in addition to neighboring countries.
Further Information: www.sicilyweb.com
Bob Marley’s Birthday Bash – Nine Mile Jamaica 6th February
Bob Marley was born on Feb. 6, 1945 in Nine Mile, ST. Anns Jamaica; Nine mile is also the logical location for the reggae party of the year, which is held on his birthday annually. Thousands of Fans and Party goers turn out to celebrate the life, dreams, creativity and music of Bob Marley. A number of gigs are held throughout.
Further Information: www.rastaites.com
St Valentines – Worldwide 14th February
When a women says she doesn’t want anything, the man must be savvy and understand that actually she really does! A women likes to feel special and expectations are high on this romantic day, so the pressure is on guys! Wherever you are and whatever you may be doing make time to surprise your loved one, it’s not all about flowers and chocolates (clothing, a nice weekend away or a lovely bottle of perfume is also perfectly acceptable)
Further Information: Sharon.mckinley@progress-services.com
Daytona 500 - Daytona Beach, Florida, USA 15th February
Also known as "The Great American Race", The Daytona 500 is unquestionably the biggest, richest and most prestigious motor sports event in America. A 200-lap, 500 miles (800 km) long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race is held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach.
Further Information: www.daytona500.com
Abu Simbel Festival - Egypt 22nd February
The Abu Simbel Sun Festival at Aswan, Egypt is observed twice every year on 22nd of February and on 22nd of October respectively. These dates mark the Emperor’s birthday and his ascension to the throne. Next to the Pyramids of Giza, Abu Simbel is perhaps the most recognized monument of ancient Egypt. The two temples built for the Pharaoh Ramesses II have been attracting visitors since Victorian times. During the Abu Simbel Festival, crowds fill the temple at sunrise to watch the shafts of light slowly creeping through the stone, illuminating the statues of Ramses, Ra and Amun and providing a spectacular sight.
Further Information: www.egypt.com
Dubrovnik Carnival – Dubrovnik February 2009
Dubrovnik Carnival dates back to the 14th century and maintains many of the original traditions to this day. People gather from surrounding areas to dress up in garish costumes, parading down the streets to the sound of trumpets and drums. Jousting competitions take place in the city centre, with men on horseback carrying lances aimed for a silver ring tied to a rope above the horse trail.
Further Information: www.dubrovnik-online.com
Monday, February 2, 2009
Funchal
The island of Madeira belongs to Portugal, but thanks to the special statute it was given, since 1976 it has been autonomous from an administrative point of view.
It is a beautiful island, with a constant spring climate that attracts tourists all year round. It has wild and harmonious vegetation, jagged coastlines and enthralling, breathtaking panoramas.
Funchal is the capital of Madeira and houses, with 125.000 inhabitants, almost half of the total population of the island.
The port of Funchal was in the past an important disembarkation place for all the ships that were sailing for India and Brazil. A little farther you will see the Marina, a tourist port always crowded with tourists and islanders. Here, in several little restaurants you will be able to try delicious fish specialities. A curiosity: the yacht that is landlocked on the beach belonged to the Beatles.
The cathedral of Funchal is called Sé, the seat of the bishop. It was built in 1514 and has up until today remained unaltered Its severe architecture is softened by some elements in Manuelina style that were added when this form of art was fashionable in Portugal. Inside the inlaid wooden ceiling is of unparalleled beauty. The Arab craftsmen used Madeira cedar wood and decorated it with ebony ornaments. The altarpiece of the main altar and the seat of the choir are in Manuelina style while the side chapels are Baroque.
In the upper city you can find the Convent and the Church of Santa Clara. The first was built at the end of the XV century and housed the Clarisse Order. Soon the convent became one of the biggest landowners of the island thanks to the generous donations of the rich families of Madeira who made their daughters take vows as cloistered nuns. The last Clarissa died in 1890 and the Franciscans took over the Convent. They belonged to an order that was more open to the outside world, and they built a kindergarten and a school to train the overseas missionaries.
At the beginning the Church was in gothic style, but it was restored in the baroque age. This is why the external covering is made of blue, yellow and white Azulejos that give it an oriental aspect.
THE MADERA
The first settlers, who arrived in Madeira around the year 1420, planted the vines on the volcanic land that was rich in iron and other minerals. They quickly obtained excellent cultivation that in no time spread all over the island. Already in the 1700’s this wine was famous not only in Europe but also in America. Let's not forget that President Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), raised a glass of Madeira to toast the independence of the United states of America! It is certainly a wine that can be enjoyed at the end of a meal or with some cheese even if, on the island, it is often served as an aperitif. Its alcohol content ranges from 19 and 22%, and is subject to severe production laws. It is in fact classified according to the vine, the sugar content, the quantity of alcohol that is added, the ageing and the kind of wood used for the vats. According to this classification the following wines are produced: Madera Tinto (Red) young, sweet and with a rich colour, Tinto Aloirado (Ruby) aged for few years and fruity in taste, or Aloirado (golden) aged longer, demi-sec and sweet. And then Aloirado-Claro (Blond), the one that ages longer in the vats. It is at its best and can be dry or extra dry.
It is a beautiful island, with a constant spring climate that attracts tourists all year round. It has wild and harmonious vegetation, jagged coastlines and enthralling, breathtaking panoramas.
Funchal is the capital of Madeira and houses, with 125.000 inhabitants, almost half of the total population of the island.
The port of Funchal was in the past an important disembarkation place for all the ships that were sailing for India and Brazil. A little farther you will see the Marina, a tourist port always crowded with tourists and islanders. Here, in several little restaurants you will be able to try delicious fish specialities. A curiosity: the yacht that is landlocked on the beach belonged to the Beatles.
Behind the tourist port you can admire the most ancient fortress in Funchal: the Fortaleza de Sao Lourenco. In 1540 they built the façade towards the sea. Walls, bulwarks and cannons protected it. But, after the attack of the French pirates who were informed by a traitor of the existence of an unprotected side of the fortress, it was enlarged and reinforced. On the eastern tower you can see the royal crest and the Cross of the Knights of Christ the symbol of the naval power of Portugal.
The cathedral of Funchal is called Sé, the seat of the bishop. It was built in 1514 and has up until today remained unaltered Its severe architecture is softened by some elements in Manuelina style that were added when this form of art was fashionable in Portugal. Inside the inlaid wooden ceiling is of unparalleled beauty. The Arab craftsmen used Madeira cedar wood and decorated it with ebony ornaments. The altarpiece of the main altar and the seat of the choir are in Manuelina style while the side chapels are Baroque.
One of the most interesting squares of Funchal is Praca Colombo. In the centre of the square you will see a mosaic of great value that represented the crest of the city.
In this area you can also find an unusual museum: the Electricity Museum. If you visit it you can look back over the history of electrification in Madeira. Here you will also find the first generator of the old power plant. Through the combustion of coal bearing rocks it produced the necessary steam to make it work.
The Igreja do Colegio, that was built by the Jesuits in the VXII century, has four marble statues on its façade. One of these represents the founder of the order, Ignazio of Loyola.
In the upper city you can find the Convent and the Church of Santa Clara. The first was built at the end of the XV century and housed the Clarisse Order. Soon the convent became one of the biggest landowners of the island thanks to the generous donations of the rich families of Madeira who made their daughters take vows as cloistered nuns. The last Clarissa died in 1890 and the Franciscans took over the Convent. They belonged to an order that was more open to the outside world, and they built a kindergarten and a school to train the overseas missionaries.
At the beginning the Church was in gothic style, but it was restored in the baroque age. This is why the external covering is made of blue, yellow and white Azulejos that give it an oriental aspect.
On the highest part of the city you will see the Fortaleza do Pico. It was built in the1600’s on three levels that were independent and could be protected separately,and it represented the last bulwark to protect the city against pirates.
THE MADERA
The first settlers, who arrived in Madeira around the year 1420, planted the vines on the volcanic land that was rich in iron and other minerals. They quickly obtained excellent cultivation that in no time spread all over the island. Already in the 1700’s this wine was famous not only in Europe but also in America. Let's not forget that President Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), raised a glass of Madeira to toast the independence of the United states of America! It is certainly a wine that can be enjoyed at the end of a meal or with some cheese even if, on the island, it is often served as an aperitif. Its alcohol content ranges from 19 and 22%, and is subject to severe production laws. It is in fact classified according to the vine, the sugar content, the quantity of alcohol that is added, the ageing and the kind of wood used for the vats. According to this classification the following wines are produced: Madera Tinto (Red) young, sweet and with a rich colour, Tinto Aloirado (Ruby) aged for few years and fruity in taste, or Aloirado (golden) aged longer, demi-sec and sweet. And then Aloirado-Claro (Blond), the one that ages longer in the vats. It is at its best and can be dry or extra dry.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
FedEx Plane Crashes During Landing
A FedEx cargo plane crashed at Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport in Texas early this morning. It is reported that the aircraft came down at the end of the runway, skidded off and caught on fire. Both pilots supposedly walked away from the crash and are at a local hospital.
Read more...
Read more...
Airplane Engine Pulled from Hudson River
The missing engine from the jet that ditched in the Hudson River last week was pulled from the water Friday afternoon. It will now join the rest of the aircraft as investigators painstakingly examine all the evidence to determine just why the plane came down. The NTSB spokesperson has said it will be next week before any information is released from the initial examination.
Read more...
Read more...
FAA Air Traffic Control Program Dropped from GAO High-Risk List
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a press release earlier this week to promote that its Air Traffic Control modernization program was removed from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) High-Risk List. The ATC modernization program was the only item dropped from the most recently updated list of areas that the GAO identifies as high-risk due to their greater vulnerabilities to fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement. The ATC modernization program was first placed on the list in 1995.
Read more...
Read more...
South Africa: Another Arrest Over South African Airways Drug Smuggling
Tuesday the entire crew of a South African Airways flight from Johannesburg to London was arrested at Heathrow Airport after UK customs agents discovered about 110 lbs. of marijuana and 8 lbs. of cocaine in three pieces of luggage. Now a female security guard at Johannesburg's O.R. Tambo Airport has been arrested for her possible involvement in this smuggling operation. The guard was one of 16 security personnel on duty clearing flight personnel for the flight to London.
Read more...
Read more...
US Coast Guard to Respond to Digital Distress Calls Only
Jan 22, 2009 — Beginning February 1, 2009, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) will only receive distress alert broadcasts from digital 406-MHz Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs). The USCG will no longer process analog signals transmitting on 121.5 or 243.0 MHz. Mariners and aviators are urged to make the switch before the deadline and register, as required by law, their EPIRBs with the United States 406 MHz Beacon Registration Database System or by calling 1-888-212-SAVE.
Read more...
Read more...
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Flight Returns Due to Pepper Spray
Jan 20, 2009 — Southwest Airlines flight 295 returned to Sacramento International Airport Sunday night after passengers complained of various forms of irritation and a chemical odor much like that caused by pepper spray. Hazmat teams searched the plane and all the luggage once it landed but did not find the pepper spray source. A small canister of pepper spray was discovered in a passenger's carry-on bag. It was determined that the canister found had not been opened and was not the source of the odor. The passenger did violate security rules by bringing the pepper spray on-board.
Read more...
Read more...
Spain: Spanish Military Jets Crash, Three Pilots Die
Jan 20, 2009 — There is some difference of opinion as to how the accident happened, but what we do know is that three Spanish air force pilots are dead after two military F1 Mirage jets crashed this morning. One official stated the two jets had collided in mid-air, while another was unclear as to whether they had collided or went down separately. The investigation continues.
Read more...
Read more...
Record Number of Small Planes Expected in D.C.
Jan 19, 2009 — There will be a huge influx of corporate and private jets coming into the Washington DC area for tomorrow's (1/20) Presidential Inauguration. In order to accommodate the number of smaller airplanes at Washington Dulles International, airport officials closed one of the airport's runways so it could be used as an airplane parking lot.
Read more...
Read more...
Record Number of Small Planes Expected in D.C.
Jan 19, 2009 — There will be a huge influx of corporate and private jets coming into the Washington DC area for tomorrow's (1/20) Presidential Inauguration. In order to accommodate the number of smaller airplanes at Washington Dulles International, airport officials closed one of the airport's runways so it could be used as an airplane parking lot.
Read more...
Read more...
Bird Strike Forces Helicopter to Land Early
Jan 19, 2009 — Bird strikes on aircraft are not uncommon occurrences, but with last week's ditching of US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River, everyone is going to hear more about the dangers of bird strikes. So it's no wonder that it's being reported that a hospital helicopter in Arkansas was forced to land after a bird strike Saturday. The chopper was returning to a hospital in Little Rock when a bird hit it and the pilot decided to put the aircraft down early.
Read more...
Read more...
TSA Report on Suspicious Behavior, Guns and Closures
Jan 17, 2009 — For the week of January 5-January 11 the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reported the arrest of 11 passengers due to suspicious behavior or fraudulent travel documents, 16 firearms and 2 artfully concealed prohibited items were found at checkpoints and there were 8 incidents that involved a checkpoint closure, terminal evacuation or a sterile area breach.
Read more...
Read more...
Friday, January 16, 2009
Flight Restrictions Before/During U.S. Presidential Inauguration
(FAA) “Modifications to the Washington, DC Special Flight Rules Area (formerly known as the Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ)) and the Washington Metropolitan Flight Restriction Zone (FRZ) will be in place for Pre-Inaugural activities on January 18, 2009, and for the Presidential Inauguration on January 20, 2009.”
Boeing Commercial Airplanes Cutting 4,500 Jobs in 2009
Boeing’s Commercial Airplanes business unit will lose about 4,500 jobs in 2009. According to a statement from the airplane manufacturer, the reductions will come via layoffs, normal attrition and a reduction in contract labor. Also, most of the jobs will be lost in Washington State in Q2 2009 and many will be in overhead functions and other areas not directly associated with airplane production.
Greenpeace Purchases Land for Heathrow’s New Runway
The environmental group Greenpeace has purchased a tract of land that is earmarked for London Heathrow Airport’s proposed third runway. Greenpeace is one of several groups trying to block the expansion of Heathrow. Greenpeace has dubbed its effort “Airplot”. Here’s what they have in mind for this piece of land.
Next TSA Meeting on Large Aircraft Security Program Friday
The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is holding five meetings around the country in order to gather input from the General Aviation community about the Large Aircraft Security Program (LASP) Proposed Rule. So far two meeting have taken place (White Plains, Atlanta) and the LASP rule as it is written has come under intense criticism. The next meeting will be Friday (1/16) in Chicago. For more information about the location visit the TSA website here.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
New U.S. Visa Waiver Program Requirements In Effect Today
Effective today (1/12) all foreign travelers to the United States who are from Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries are now required to obtain approval through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) prior to coming to the United States.
The ESTA website is available at: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/
(U.S. DHS) “DHS will take a reasonable approach to travelers who have not obtained an approved travel authorization via ESTA, and will continue an aggressive advertising and outreach campaign throughout 2009. Travelers without an approved ESTA are advised, however, that they may be denied boarding, experience delayed processing, or be denied admission at a U.S. port of entry.”
The ESTA website is available at: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/
(U.S. DHS) “DHS will take a reasonable approach to travelers who have not obtained an approved travel authorization via ESTA, and will continue an aggressive advertising and outreach campaign throughout 2009. Travelers without an approved ESTA are advised, however, that they may be denied boarding, experience delayed processing, or be denied admission at a U.S. port of entry.”
Saturday, January 10, 2009
PERPETUAL TRAVELLER TOOLS
Here’s a thing, if you travel frequently I’m sure you can empathize that it’s not just the actual flying that bothers our kind, it’s those ongoing progressive fears of long flight connections we desperately try to avoid or worse still, the enemy of the Traveller – dreaded delays, which slows us down and takes dissolves our passion to fly!
What can one do when locked in what appears to be at the time an age within one of the most undesirable airports imaginable, no facilities, no decent services or VIP Lounges? Over the years I have personally notched up a purchase in almost every Airport, I have frequented, mostly by habit rather than need. As an avid consumer, I cannot believe I'm saying this, but it’s beginning to bore me, as Airport retail spaces all too often offer the same old Duty Free thing or at least they look and feel the same! Nothing original and preciously few uniquely inspired goods, instead the same old regurgitated so called Duty Free shops, with similar repetitive brands; so what can a PT girl do with so much spare travel time available and few entertainment options?
Imagine this scenario, you’ve landed in Simon Bolivar Caracas International Airport and have an onward flight to Lima, Peru in the early hours of the following day, you’ve done the shops, which are closing in front of your eyes and still have 10 hours of waiting time to survive due to this unfriendly flight connection. The VIP lounge is closed and your only comfort is a solid cold public seat - the WAIT begins in earnest and your only companions to pass the time with are the travel tools you skillfully brought with you JUST IN CASE!
Essential “Travel Tools”
I used to tease my partner when he traveled, as I couldn’t believe…
(A) The size of his carry on bag
(B) The weight of his carry on bag
(c) The amount of Travel Tools he used to bring with him
I'm pleased to say that these days he still has lots of updated “Travel Tools”, however his carry on bag has evolved into a rational pull-along Samsonite, both leaner and lighter! It wasn’t my constant teasing that did it, instead it was natural causes, due to his aging hunched back-ache. No kidding he used to carry around 9 kilos on his shoulder!
It’s only now I appreciate though, the importance of “Travel Tools”, so I conducted an in-depth research for Perpetual Traveller. For your reading pleasure please find below my conclusion of the most useful items….
Laptop (King of the road)
Preferably a light Laptop with a long-life Battery, built in quality Speakers, Microphone, Skype enabled Camera and WiFi. The average modern Laptop battery-life lasts 3-4 hours. Ensure you are fully loaded with the following complementary essentials:-
• Email
• Skype
• Movies (recommend the free player VLP, it plays anything!)
• MP3 Music
• Headset
Data Card or Dongle
For your laptop Internet connection, wherever your WiFi lets you down.
Wi-Fi Scanner
We recommend the 2nd generation Wi-Fi Hotspot Detector from Canary Wireless. This is the ultimate Wi-Fi accessory! The dynamic Hotspotter provides network ID, signal strength and accessibility information for multiple networks at a glance. Just push the scan button and the device collects and displays information on up to 20 Wi-Fi networks.
Privacy screens
Ideal when someone sitting next to you starts to invade your Personal Zone (46cm – 1.2M)! Privacy screens and computer privacy filters can be purchased for your computer, notebook or laptop. This tool is designed for open, high-traffic environments where on-screen data needs to be kept private. It utilizes 3M's blackout privacy technology, which makes on-screen data visible only to those directly in front of the monitor. It will not blur or distort the image whatsoever either.
Quad Mobile phone
Same rule applies as to Laptops; select a Mobile Phone with an excellent battery life. Currently the average Mobile phone battery lasts 6 hours. Moreover, ensure you are fully loaded with these complementary essentials / accessories:-
• Bluetooth
• Minimum 3 Mega pixels Camera
• MP3 player (if you do not have an independent one)
• Infrared
• GPS / G3
• Quad Band
• Push Email
• WiFi connection
Battery Charger
- Plug In
- Manual
- Solar (help the planet and to cover every eventuality)
ipod or MP3 Player
- Music (including music videos)
- Recording – to capture your ideas and thoughts
- Language Course (learn on the move)
- Other Audio Courses or short stories
- Mini Videos
Local SIM card
A great way to reduce roaming costs, if you travel frequently .
Alternatively try SIM4TRAVEL.com
A “Good Book”
If Electronics is not your thing, you can’t beat a “Good Book” and a Blanket will always prove useful if you need to lye on the airport floor or you feel cold quickly in the Airports heavily air-conditioned environment.
All the above “Travel Tools” will keep you connected or at least occupied on your journey to avoid email overload and surprises when you get back to the office.
Sharon Mckinley
Publisher
Perpetual Traveller
What can one do when locked in what appears to be at the time an age within one of the most undesirable airports imaginable, no facilities, no decent services or VIP Lounges? Over the years I have personally notched up a purchase in almost every Airport, I have frequented, mostly by habit rather than need. As an avid consumer, I cannot believe I'm saying this, but it’s beginning to bore me, as Airport retail spaces all too often offer the same old Duty Free thing or at least they look and feel the same! Nothing original and preciously few uniquely inspired goods, instead the same old regurgitated so called Duty Free shops, with similar repetitive brands; so what can a PT girl do with so much spare travel time available and few entertainment options?
Imagine this scenario, you’ve landed in Simon Bolivar Caracas International Airport and have an onward flight to Lima, Peru in the early hours of the following day, you’ve done the shops, which are closing in front of your eyes and still have 10 hours of waiting time to survive due to this unfriendly flight connection. The VIP lounge is closed and your only comfort is a solid cold public seat - the WAIT begins in earnest and your only companions to pass the time with are the travel tools you skillfully brought with you JUST IN CASE!
Essential “Travel Tools”
I used to tease my partner when he traveled, as I couldn’t believe…
(A) The size of his carry on bag
(B) The weight of his carry on bag
(c) The amount of Travel Tools he used to bring with him
I'm pleased to say that these days he still has lots of updated “Travel Tools”, however his carry on bag has evolved into a rational pull-along Samsonite, both leaner and lighter! It wasn’t my constant teasing that did it, instead it was natural causes, due to his aging hunched back-ache. No kidding he used to carry around 9 kilos on his shoulder!
It’s only now I appreciate though, the importance of “Travel Tools”, so I conducted an in-depth research for Perpetual Traveller. For your reading pleasure please find below my conclusion of the most useful items….
Laptop (King of the road)
Preferably a light Laptop with a long-life Battery, built in quality Speakers, Microphone, Skype enabled Camera and WiFi. The average modern Laptop battery-life lasts 3-4 hours. Ensure you are fully loaded with the following complementary essentials:-
• Skype
• Movies (recommend the free player VLP, it plays anything!)
• MP3 Music
• Headset
Data Card or Dongle
For your laptop Internet connection, wherever your WiFi lets you down.
Wi-Fi Scanner
We recommend the 2nd generation Wi-Fi Hotspot Detector from Canary Wireless. This is the ultimate Wi-Fi accessory! The dynamic Hotspotter provides network ID, signal strength and accessibility information for multiple networks at a glance. Just push the scan button and the device collects and displays information on up to 20 Wi-Fi networks.
Privacy screens
Ideal when someone sitting next to you starts to invade your Personal Zone (46cm – 1.2M)! Privacy screens and computer privacy filters can be purchased for your computer, notebook or laptop. This tool is designed for open, high-traffic environments where on-screen data needs to be kept private. It utilizes 3M's blackout privacy technology, which makes on-screen data visible only to those directly in front of the monitor. It will not blur or distort the image whatsoever either.
Quad Mobile phone
Same rule applies as to Laptops; select a Mobile Phone with an excellent battery life. Currently the average Mobile phone battery lasts 6 hours. Moreover, ensure you are fully loaded with these complementary essentials / accessories:-
• Bluetooth
• Minimum 3 Mega pixels Camera
• MP3 player (if you do not have an independent one)
• Infrared
• GPS / G3
• Quad Band
• Push Email
• WiFi connection
Battery Charger
- Plug In
- Manual
- Solar (help the planet and to cover every eventuality)
ipod or MP3 Player
- Music (including music videos)
- Recording – to capture your ideas and thoughts
- Language Course (learn on the move)
- Other Audio Courses or short stories
- Mini Videos
Local SIM card
A great way to reduce roaming costs, if you travel frequently .
Alternatively try SIM4TRAVEL.com
A “Good Book”
If Electronics is not your thing, you can’t beat a “Good Book” and a Blanket will always prove useful if you need to lye on the airport floor or you feel cold quickly in the Airports heavily air-conditioned environment.
All the above “Travel Tools” will keep you connected or at least occupied on your journey to avoid email overload and surprises when you get back to the office.
Sharon Mckinley
Publisher
Perpetual Traveller
Thursday, January 1, 2009
What do you dislike most about Airports?
Well there is a lot to dislike about airports when you really think about it; there’s the Pre-travel arrangements for a start, getting to the airport, especially a Budget airport and if that isn’t bad enough we then have the pleasure of actually arriving to the airport itself, not knowing what we may find when we get there!
Depending upon which airport you find yourself in, the service, attitude and facilities can vary dramatically often lacking consistency when it comes to Rules and Regulations by this I also refer to Security. It’s difficult to find two airports who operate by exactly the same system and layout.
What we need is a team of independent international “Airport Inspectors” representing consumers to check and regulate Airport facilities in order to ensure that the Perpetual Traveler out there has it least some fundamental comforts concerning communications, toilet related conveniences, clean water, soap and somewhere to eat and adequate public seating, I’m surprised how few airports provide quality services to meet the number of passengers they process.
When it comes to travel in the 21st Century in the era of downgraded Budget services, its not always an easy or pleasant experience, so it pays to prepare pack for all eventualities, yet still try to travel with Hand luggage only to avoid the increasing problem of lost and delayed luggage.
As the “Airport Issue” is generating more moans than ever from travellers these days we decided to create our own POLL with the help of our friends at Plaxo. We asked a simple question “What do you dislike most about Airports”.
The below results demonstrated that since the introduction of the liquid rules, the security process is the resounding winner in this hotly contested airport complaint contest. Of course even if we dared to mention this to the authorities it would fall on deaf ears as they and we will rc the same old rhetoric about terrorists and the important need for security. We understand this to a degree, although security is still lax in many airports and re are surly better ways to deal with this issue. The main point is that security officials are often rude and queues in some airports are still unacceptably long.
In joint second place is unfriendly check-in staff (cannot blame terrorism for that) and long check-in queues. This comes as a result of Airports in collaboration with Airlines seeking to find cost efficiencies by reducing staff levels and by employment of lower quality staff with less training. Check-in staff are under more pressure with new security rules, electronic demands, luggage restrictions and related charges in addition to dealing with passengers already arriving angry to the desk due to long queues. They tend to receive on average less and less customer service training, which is why we perceive them as unfriendly.
Expensive food is another sore point, as clearly most airports around the world with a captive audience hike prices. There are few exceptions.
Parking has always traditionally been high at airports as space is limited, coupled with the fact that the Airport Authorities take advantage wherever they can.
WiFi costs are usually a rip off, although some proactive airports actually offer free WiFi. For frequent travellers and users, we recommend signing up to a BOINGO account. Boingo boast 100,000 Hot Spots and its reasonable if you are a regular user. See www.boingo.com/ for details.
Moving back to the survey, check out the below responses, as they seem reflective of the current status all things considered of Airports on a global scale.
TOP 10 THINGS WE DISLIKE ABOUT AIRPORTS
The Security process - 24%
Unfriendly check-in staff - 20%
Long check-in queues - 20%
Expensive food and drink costs - 14%
Expensive Parking - 8%
Expensive WiFi costs - 4%
Immigration check - 4%
Customs control - 2%
Repetitive Duty Free Shops - 1%
Lack of comfortable seating - 1%
So who’s doing it right? On the bright side there are some spectacular passenger friendly airports out there. See below for the cream of the worlds airports. Clearly the Asians have mastered how to structure and operate an airport. Its fascinating to see no US or UK airports featured in the top ten and just a few European Airports all of which are in the North of Europe. One other point worthy of mention is that I am sure Middle Eastern Airports such as the new terminal in Dubai, that of Abu Dhabi and perhaps Qatar will all figure in the best of the rest in the future.
The Top 10 Airports in the world for 2008
For Hong Kong to be named winner of World’s Best Airport title for the 7th time in ten years is a truly notable achievement. To retain this title amidst such strong competition is testament to an airport that is clearly serving it’s customers well.
1 Hong Kong (1)
2 Singapore Changi (2)
3 Seoul Incheon (2)
4 Kuala Lumpur KLIA (5)
5 Munich (4)
6 Kansai (9)
7 Copenhagen (11)
8 Zurich (6)
9 Helsinki (12)
10 Cape Town (13)
*Source Travellers choice awards
Further Information: link to: www.airlinequality.com
Depending upon which airport you find yourself in, the service, attitude and facilities can vary dramatically often lacking consistency when it comes to Rules and Regulations by this I also refer to Security. It’s difficult to find two airports who operate by exactly the same system and layout.
What we need is a team of independent international “Airport Inspectors” representing consumers to check and regulate Airport facilities in order to ensure that the Perpetual Traveler out there has it least some fundamental comforts concerning communications, toilet related conveniences, clean water, soap and somewhere to eat and adequate public seating, I’m surprised how few airports provide quality services to meet the number of passengers they process.
When it comes to travel in the 21st Century in the era of downgraded Budget services, its not always an easy or pleasant experience, so it pays to prepare pack for all eventualities, yet still try to travel with Hand luggage only to avoid the increasing problem of lost and delayed luggage.
As the “Airport Issue” is generating more moans than ever from travellers these days we decided to create our own POLL with the help of our friends at Plaxo. We asked a simple question “What do you dislike most about Airports”.
The below results demonstrated that since the introduction of the liquid rules, the security process is the resounding winner in this hotly contested airport complaint contest. Of course even if we dared to mention this to the authorities it would fall on deaf ears as they and we will rc the same old rhetoric about terrorists and the important need for security. We understand this to a degree, although security is still lax in many airports and re are surly better ways to deal with this issue. The main point is that security officials are often rude and queues in some airports are still unacceptably long.
In joint second place is unfriendly check-in staff (cannot blame terrorism for that) and long check-in queues. This comes as a result of Airports in collaboration with Airlines seeking to find cost efficiencies by reducing staff levels and by employment of lower quality staff with less training. Check-in staff are under more pressure with new security rules, electronic demands, luggage restrictions and related charges in addition to dealing with passengers already arriving angry to the desk due to long queues. They tend to receive on average less and less customer service training, which is why we perceive them as unfriendly.
Expensive food is another sore point, as clearly most airports around the world with a captive audience hike prices. There are few exceptions.
Parking has always traditionally been high at airports as space is limited, coupled with the fact that the Airport Authorities take advantage wherever they can.
WiFi costs are usually a rip off, although some proactive airports actually offer free WiFi. For frequent travellers and users, we recommend signing up to a BOINGO account. Boingo boast 100,000 Hot Spots and its reasonable if you are a regular user. See www.boingo.com/ for details.
Moving back to the survey, check out the below responses, as they seem reflective of the current status all things considered of Airports on a global scale.
TOP 10 THINGS WE DISLIKE ABOUT AIRPORTS
The Security process - 24%
Unfriendly check-in staff - 20%
Long check-in queues - 20%
Expensive food and drink costs - 14%
Expensive Parking - 8%
Expensive WiFi costs - 4%
Immigration check - 4%
Customs control - 2%
Repetitive Duty Free Shops - 1%
Lack of comfortable seating - 1%
So who’s doing it right? On the bright side there are some spectacular passenger friendly airports out there. See below for the cream of the worlds airports. Clearly the Asians have mastered how to structure and operate an airport. Its fascinating to see no US or UK airports featured in the top ten and just a few European Airports all of which are in the North of Europe. One other point worthy of mention is that I am sure Middle Eastern Airports such as the new terminal in Dubai, that of Abu Dhabi and perhaps Qatar will all figure in the best of the rest in the future.
The Top 10 Airports in the world for 2008
For Hong Kong to be named winner of World’s Best Airport title for the 7th time in ten years is a truly notable achievement. To retain this title amidst such strong competition is testament to an airport that is clearly serving it’s customers well.
1 Hong Kong (1)
2 Singapore Changi (2)
3 Seoul Incheon (2)
4 Kuala Lumpur KLIA (5)
5 Munich (4)
6 Kansai (9)
7 Copenhagen (11)
8 Zurich (6)
9 Helsinki (12)
10 Cape Town (13)
*Source Travellers choice awards
Further Information: link to: www.airlinequality.com
Monday, December 1, 2008
“Top 10 December Events”
The festive season is upon us and in the largely Christian western world there is a full calendar of events linking to the celebration of Christmas to look forward to. We at Perpetual Traveller challenge you to do something different this year, by visiting an event in another country or culture. After all with the crisis there are plenty of offers! We can assure you of an truly uplifting experience where money is not the ultimate objective, which is so often the case thee days. Here below are some ideas around the world that we highly recommend with a few non Christmas options to.
German Christmas Markets 28th November - 24th December 2008
World famous Christmas Markets like no other! If you’ve never experienced a German Christmas Market you should add it to your list of must do’s. It’s especially interesting for all the family.
One of the most famous markets is called Nuremberg .The Old Town is decorated in its Christmas regalia and permeated with tempting aromas of mulled wine, sweet roasted almonds, Nuremberg sausages and gingerbread, thus creating an unforgettable atmosphere. The Christkindlesmarkt lies right at the heart of the city which is steeped in more than 400 years of tradition, providing a truly international showcase for all Franconian and German Christmas Markets.
Further information: www.christmasmarkets.com
Covent Garden Piazza, London, England, Great Christmas Pudding Race 6th December 2008
“Seasonal Silliness” The 28th annual Great Christmas Pudding Race will be taking place at Covent Garden Market in London on December 6th.Participants will participate in a all action fun relay race at which time they will have to navigate an obstacle course at speed while carrying a Christmas pudding on a tray. A festive good laugh and expect to see some weird and wacky sights!
Further information: http://www.viewlondon.co.uk
Espace Fontevieille, Monte Carlo, Monaco 28th November – 1st December 2008
When in Monaco why not pop along to the Espace Fontevieille and experience first hand Monte Carlo’s Gastronomy Fair. A great opportunity to experience the smells and delights of the region. This year the Master Chefs have a real challenge on their hands, as they have to create a Chocolate piece based on the theme “The Chocolate Woman”.
Further information: http://www.visitmonaco.com
Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates 1st December 2008
Does anyone do it bigger and better than the UAE? To celebrate UAE National Day a unique concert and on stage for the first time in the Middle East, George Michael and Alicia Keys will play at the Zayed sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi for what is certainly the biggest concert ever in the region.
Further information: http://www.timeoutabudhabi.com
St André Fair Avignon, France 30 Nov - 1 Dec 2008
Since the middle Ages bargain hunters and sellers have flocked to Annecy for its traditional and quaint St André Fair. These days more than 1100 stalls and 6000 visitors crowd the winding streets and dainty bridges in the centre of town. The inhabitants of Avignon welcome in the crisp Provence winter with this attractive and traditional Fair, held every year throughout the streets of the town.
Further information: http://www.beyond.fr
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil National Samba Day 2nd December 2008
National Samba Day in Rio de Janeiro is a party not to be missed. Samba is a significant part of Brazilian culture, which involves people of all ages dancing in the streets the rhythm of the powerful beat! Traditional Samba groups from Rio take train compartments on the ‘Samba Train’ and party from Central do Brazil station to Oswaldo Cruz.
Further information: http://www.highbeam.com
Tübingen, Germany ChocolART 2nd – 7th December 2008
Imagine this, participating in a chocolate-making course followed by a tasting session ! Yum Yum workshops of enthusiasts galore learn the Art of chocolate decorating and lets face consumption too. If that all sounds a bit much for you try out the relaxing and very tasty Chocolate Massage. Now for the best news, the ChocolART festival is all FREE! Eat your heart out Cadbury’s
Further information: http://www.tuebingen.de
Ponzano Romano, Italy Spinster Festival 6th December 2008
How about this for something a little different on the matchmaking scene! Representatives of the council collect names of all the unmarried women between the ages of 18 and 34. Names are put into a container and later in the day one name selected the winner receives a symbolic dowry and the best wishes of the council to find a Husband soon! A gastronomic event is also held at the same time offering local delicacies, one imagines to attract virile young men.
Further information: http://www.italiantourism.com
Museum of the Romanian Peasant, Bucharest, Romania Winter Gifts Festival December 2008
Marking the start of the festive season, the Winter Gift Festival at the Museum of The Romanian Peasant in Bucharest features the work of roughly 150 local artists. Objects for sale range from traditional wood and pottery items to decorative rugs and hand-made jewelry. A great place for original and truly unique Christmas presents.
Further information: http://www.romaniatourism.com
Livigno Resort, Sondrio, Italy Art in Ice 2nd - 6th December 2008
Livigno hosts the annual international Art in Ice competition, where ten teams of 3 sculptors compete to transform three-meter blocks of pressed snow into works of art Italian Ice. Artists the world over head to the festival to make the mono-color artworks. The event strives for purity and simplicity, with strict rules on the dimensions of the 3 square meter snow blocks and banning of chainsaws, other electrical cutting tools and all means of coloring the snow
Further information: http://www.italiantourism.com
So whatever your flavor, try out something new this year and take a few days of the Shopping and 21st Century consumerism that has engulfed our lives. You can always take advantage of the sales in January, because with the Credit Crunch of this disastrous financial year, will surely promise the best recorded sales ever in January 2009!
German Christmas Markets 28th November - 24th December 2008
World famous Christmas Markets like no other! If you’ve never experienced a German Christmas Market you should add it to your list of must do’s. It’s especially interesting for all the family.
One of the most famous markets is called Nuremberg .The Old Town is decorated in its Christmas regalia and permeated with tempting aromas of mulled wine, sweet roasted almonds, Nuremberg sausages and gingerbread, thus creating an unforgettable atmosphere. The Christkindlesmarkt lies right at the heart of the city which is steeped in more than 400 years of tradition, providing a truly international showcase for all Franconian and German Christmas Markets.
Further information: www.christmasmarkets.com
Covent Garden Piazza, London, England, Great Christmas Pudding Race 6th December 2008
“Seasonal Silliness” The 28th annual Great Christmas Pudding Race will be taking place at Covent Garden Market in London on December 6th.Participants will participate in a all action fun relay race at which time they will have to navigate an obstacle course at speed while carrying a Christmas pudding on a tray. A festive good laugh and expect to see some weird and wacky sights!
Further information: http://www.viewlondon.co.uk
Espace Fontevieille, Monte Carlo, Monaco 28th November – 1st December 2008
When in Monaco why not pop along to the Espace Fontevieille and experience first hand Monte Carlo’s Gastronomy Fair. A great opportunity to experience the smells and delights of the region. This year the Master Chefs have a real challenge on their hands, as they have to create a Chocolate piece based on the theme “The Chocolate Woman”.
Further information: http://www.visitmonaco.com
Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates 1st December 2008
Does anyone do it bigger and better than the UAE? To celebrate UAE National Day a unique concert and on stage for the first time in the Middle East, George Michael and Alicia Keys will play at the Zayed sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi for what is certainly the biggest concert ever in the region.
Further information: http://www.timeoutabudhabi.com
St André Fair Avignon, France 30 Nov - 1 Dec 2008
Since the middle Ages bargain hunters and sellers have flocked to Annecy for its traditional and quaint St André Fair. These days more than 1100 stalls and 6000 visitors crowd the winding streets and dainty bridges in the centre of town. The inhabitants of Avignon welcome in the crisp Provence winter with this attractive and traditional Fair, held every year throughout the streets of the town.
Further information: http://www.beyond.fr
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil National Samba Day 2nd December 2008
National Samba Day in Rio de Janeiro is a party not to be missed. Samba is a significant part of Brazilian culture, which involves people of all ages dancing in the streets the rhythm of the powerful beat! Traditional Samba groups from Rio take train compartments on the ‘Samba Train’ and party from Central do Brazil station to Oswaldo Cruz.
Further information: http://www.highbeam.com
Tübingen, Germany ChocolART 2nd – 7th December 2008
Imagine this, participating in a chocolate-making course followed by a tasting session ! Yum Yum workshops of enthusiasts galore learn the Art of chocolate decorating and lets face consumption too. If that all sounds a bit much for you try out the relaxing and very tasty Chocolate Massage. Now for the best news, the ChocolART festival is all FREE! Eat your heart out Cadbury’s
Further information: http://www.tuebingen.de
Ponzano Romano, Italy Spinster Festival 6th December 2008
How about this for something a little different on the matchmaking scene! Representatives of the council collect names of all the unmarried women between the ages of 18 and 34. Names are put into a container and later in the day one name selected the winner receives a symbolic dowry and the best wishes of the council to find a Husband soon! A gastronomic event is also held at the same time offering local delicacies, one imagines to attract virile young men.
Further information: http://www.italiantourism.com
Museum of the Romanian Peasant, Bucharest, Romania Winter Gifts Festival December 2008
Marking the start of the festive season, the Winter Gift Festival at the Museum of The Romanian Peasant in Bucharest features the work of roughly 150 local artists. Objects for sale range from traditional wood and pottery items to decorative rugs and hand-made jewelry. A great place for original and truly unique Christmas presents.
Further information: http://www.romaniatourism.com
Livigno Resort, Sondrio, Italy Art in Ice 2nd - 6th December 2008
Livigno hosts the annual international Art in Ice competition, where ten teams of 3 sculptors compete to transform three-meter blocks of pressed snow into works of art Italian Ice. Artists the world over head to the festival to make the mono-color artworks. The event strives for purity and simplicity, with strict rules on the dimensions of the 3 square meter snow blocks and banning of chainsaws, other electrical cutting tools and all means of coloring the snow
Further information: http://www.italiantourism.com
So whatever your flavor, try out something new this year and take a few days of the Shopping and 21st Century consumerism that has engulfed our lives. You can always take advantage of the sales in January, because with the Credit Crunch of this disastrous financial year, will surely promise the best recorded sales ever in January 2009!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
SKIING IN ANDORRA
It may not have the highest mountains in all Europe, but those who have tried it would say that skiing in Andorra has it all.
In the last ten years, over €50m has gone into staggering improvements in ski facilities and many times that into Andorra’s tourist infrastructure. When the sun shines – and it shines a lot in winter, so don’t forget the sun cream – literally thousands of the latest snow-cannons ensure that the resorts have excellent snow cover from Dec 1st to the end of April.
There are now two macro-resorts in Andorra, grouping the five original stations, both with skiing at between 2.500m and 1.750.
GrandValira (comprising Pas de la Casa, Grau Roig and Soldeu/ElTarter) has the biggest skiing area in the whole of the Pyrenees. Dedicated skiers will probably go for this option and their whole holiday will probably cost them about 70% of what it would cost in the Alps for the same quality of facilities and some pretty challenging skiing. As for après-ski fun, it might lack St Moritz chic but instead of platinum prices, read bronze.
On the other side of the country, Vallnord (comprising Pal-Arinsal and Arcalís) centres on La Massana and Arinsal and Ordino. Vallnord is a much more intimate resort and ski holiday prices are even more reasonable. Families with young children tend to prefer being in Arinsal which, despite having slightly more limited skiing, is Andorra’s premier all-year-round holiday village, partly because 90% of Andorra’s international community live within a five km radius of Pal-Arinsal and it is only 15mins by car to the capital’s outstanding tax-free shopping facilities and spa centre. The Vallnord area has recently seen vigorous growth in the summer as well, due to the growing demand for biking and hiking holidays.
In 2009, Vallnord hosts the World Mountain-Bike Championships for the second year running and the Copa Catalana 2008 was also held there.
On both sides of the country, despite a whole range of excellent hotels offering 33.000 beds (one for every 2,5 residents) there is steady demand in the high seasons, from Andorra’s 11m visitors a year, for affordable accommodation in private apartments and chalets.
Servissim, established for nearly 20 years, is the largest English-speaking services company in Andorra and via its www.andorra-holidays.com division, is the leading country-wide organisation dealing with the direct-selling private of holiday accommodation owned by its foreign-based clients.
In many years, clients have seen spectacular growth in their investments, but Andorra has always been better-known for its solid growth in the long-term. Even with the property shocks of the last year, returns (income and capital appreciation) have hardly wavered from 9% per annum, cumulative, in all of those 20 years and taxes on foreign-owned property held long-term are negligible. Because of this – and a natural flight to quality – prices are already beginning to stabilise and Andorra, with its overall lower price advantage, should do better than most other destinations in weathering the current recessionary tendency. Bookings, if anything, are slightly up over the same period last year.
However, much of the interest in having a holiday property in Andorra is not just in the investment itself, but in the owners being able to pick and choose their own dates to visit Andorra, one of the safest, most-enjoyable, places to live in the whole of Europe.
Our best recommendation is to go and see the opportunities there for yourself.
By Simon Binsted
In the last ten years, over €50m has gone into staggering improvements in ski facilities and many times that into Andorra’s tourist infrastructure. When the sun shines – and it shines a lot in winter, so don’t forget the sun cream – literally thousands of the latest snow-cannons ensure that the resorts have excellent snow cover from Dec 1st to the end of April.
There are now two macro-resorts in Andorra, grouping the five original stations, both with skiing at between 2.500m and 1.750.
GrandValira (comprising Pas de la Casa, Grau Roig and Soldeu/ElTarter) has the biggest skiing area in the whole of the Pyrenees. Dedicated skiers will probably go for this option and their whole holiday will probably cost them about 70% of what it would cost in the Alps for the same quality of facilities and some pretty challenging skiing. As for après-ski fun, it might lack St Moritz chic but instead of platinum prices, read bronze.
On the other side of the country, Vallnord (comprising Pal-Arinsal and Arcalís) centres on La Massana and Arinsal and Ordino. Vallnord is a much more intimate resort and ski holiday prices are even more reasonable. Families with young children tend to prefer being in Arinsal which, despite having slightly more limited skiing, is Andorra’s premier all-year-round holiday village, partly because 90% of Andorra’s international community live within a five km radius of Pal-Arinsal and it is only 15mins by car to the capital’s outstanding tax-free shopping facilities and spa centre. The Vallnord area has recently seen vigorous growth in the summer as well, due to the growing demand for biking and hiking holidays.
In 2009, Vallnord hosts the World Mountain-Bike Championships for the second year running and the Copa Catalana 2008 was also held there.
On both sides of the country, despite a whole range of excellent hotels offering 33.000 beds (one for every 2,5 residents) there is steady demand in the high seasons, from Andorra’s 11m visitors a year, for affordable accommodation in private apartments and chalets.
Servissim, established for nearly 20 years, is the largest English-speaking services company in Andorra and via its www.andorra-holidays.com division, is the leading country-wide organisation dealing with the direct-selling private of holiday accommodation owned by its foreign-based clients.
In many years, clients have seen spectacular growth in their investments, but Andorra has always been better-known for its solid growth in the long-term. Even with the property shocks of the last year, returns (income and capital appreciation) have hardly wavered from 9% per annum, cumulative, in all of those 20 years and taxes on foreign-owned property held long-term are negligible. Because of this – and a natural flight to quality – prices are already beginning to stabilise and Andorra, with its overall lower price advantage, should do better than most other destinations in weathering the current recessionary tendency. Bookings, if anything, are slightly up over the same period last year.
However, much of the interest in having a holiday property in Andorra is not just in the investment itself, but in the owners being able to pick and choose their own dates to visit Andorra, one of the safest, most-enjoyable, places to live in the whole of Europe.
Our best recommendation is to go and see the opportunities there for yourself.
By Simon Binsted
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Genoa
The Genoese have stopped grumbling. According to the poet Edoardo Sanguineti, the Genoese were always grumbling and this grumbling sound had become Genoa’s background noise, so rooted in her inhabitant that they had lost their original accent. Such grumbling, which had accompanied the slow decline of the city after the end of the second world war, became muffled as Genoa started getting her former color back – not just that of her salt-washed palaces – to take back her rightful position and shed her backwater reputation first with the 1992 Expo and now as a City of Culture for 2004. Today Genoa is dynamic, high-tech and many splendor city as of old, as well as being extremely beautiful in its position between sea and mountains.
She is no longer a Cinderella, but a Queen: first sea power, more powerful than Venice or Pisa in the fourteenth century, a rich and cosmopolitan city that could afford imports from all over the world then known. As one of Europe’s major capital cities in the sixteenth century, it moved from French to Spanish influence and at this time became rich with sumptuous palaces and churches, showing frescoes and stucco work. It became an art capital in the seventeenth century when it received the most fashionable Flemish artists of the time, masters such as Pieter Paul Rubens and Antonie Van Dick. The local aristocracy started to buy on a grand scale the works of such masters as Tintoretto and Titian, Caravaggio and Guercino. In the nineteenth century it became a laboratory for eclectic architecture, which, under the House of Savoy, it saw the rise of such masterpieces as the Carlo Felice theatre and the bizarre buildings of the Florentine architect Gino Coppedé. For a few decades, starting from the fifties, the crisis in industry and in port activities started to dim the ancient splendor of the city which was caught between an awareness of its decadence and a frustrating memory of better times. But pride came back as it is only proper for someone who has been too rich and too powerful. Starting from the late Nineties, Genoa took steps, obstinately but cleverly, to regain her lost splendor. The old, mammoth, unproductive industry was replaced by smaller, more enterprising activities; investments were made in advanced electronics and technology. Genoa changed her face as well as her symbols.
Today they are the Bigo, a large, futuristic building rising out of the water holding an elevator aloft, the work of Renzo Piano for the Old Port. Another symbol is the Aquarium, showing 6,000 animals of 600 different species in almost 10,000 square meters, one of Europe’s largest structures of its kind. The future is now. With Expo ‘92, during which Piano redeveloped 130,000 square meters of the Old Port transforming it into the city’s most avant-garde area, Genoa celebrated her reawakening.
As a City of Culture for 2004 she is confirming her status as one of Europe’s great cultural capitals.Liguria’s capital has been transformed under the direction of Germano Celant, curator at Guggenheim Museum in New York, into a crucible of cultural and architectural experimentation. No cultural field has been left unexplored, in the same way all areas of the city have been restored to a splendor more lasting than the duration of an exhibition.
Structural work includes the Old Museums Site, centered on Via Garibaldi, an old street lined with aristocrats’ residences in the sixteenth century, to the museum site at Parchi di Nervi, to the palaces at Polo della Darsena, as
Well as the most beautiful and important museums.
Genoa will move through culture like a creature moving through music and art, film and dance, performances for
Children, sea fairs, a special edition of the Suq or Peoples’ Bazaar: music concerts, dance lessons, foreign language courses and meetings on cultural integration (Old Port, June 1-15). Though Rubens, who lived in the city at different times, will take place of honor in the celebrations (over the year one hundred and eighteen exhibitions and as many meetings), there will be many others on great artists and movements, for example Chagall (Jewish Museum, April 5 to June 15). One exhibition will focus on silversmiths and goldsmiths in Genoa between the sixteenth and the eighteenth centuries, another on the life and the world of Leon Battista Alberti. Genoa’s year of culture will see a variety of events, ranging through all fields of artistic and cultural Endeavour, to satisfy the curiosity of millions of visitors. In the musical field too, people will move from a tango festival running through the city’s squares to a jazz festival at Golfo Paradiso, and from traditional genoese songs to classical music. People interested in talks will be able to choose from among various Nobel Prize Laureates, including the writers Günter Grass and José Saramago (Teatro dell’Archivolto, January through May). Other events will be dedicated to the sea.
The City of Children, for example, the largest play area in Italy, in the Old Port, will offer interactive games in which younger visitors will be able to play with three-dimensional reconstructed stage settings above and under sea level. The leading exhibition in this are will be one on ocean liners, at The National Museum of Antarctica: photographs, pictures and animation will illustrate in great detail the marine environment and other characteristics of the Antarctic habitat. The idea of the sea, however, is not just a temporary fad. March will see the inauguration of the Museums of the Sea and of Navigation, by the Spanish architect Guillermo Vasquez, and a year later the Dutchman Ben Van Berkel will restore the Parodi Bridge. These are important, monumental works as well as symbols of the subtle, ancestral relationship the Genoese have with the sea, the red thin line that still links, today and always, the city to history.
She is no longer a Cinderella, but a Queen: first sea power, more powerful than Venice or Pisa in the fourteenth century, a rich and cosmopolitan city that could afford imports from all over the world then known. As one of Europe’s major capital cities in the sixteenth century, it moved from French to Spanish influence and at this time became rich with sumptuous palaces and churches, showing frescoes and stucco work. It became an art capital in the seventeenth century when it received the most fashionable Flemish artists of the time, masters such as Pieter Paul Rubens and Antonie Van Dick. The local aristocracy started to buy on a grand scale the works of such masters as Tintoretto and Titian, Caravaggio and Guercino. In the nineteenth century it became a laboratory for eclectic architecture, which, under the House of Savoy, it saw the rise of such masterpieces as the Carlo Felice theatre and the bizarre buildings of the Florentine architect Gino Coppedé. For a few decades, starting from the fifties, the crisis in industry and in port activities started to dim the ancient splendor of the city which was caught between an awareness of its decadence and a frustrating memory of better times. But pride came back as it is only proper for someone who has been too rich and too powerful. Starting from the late Nineties, Genoa took steps, obstinately but cleverly, to regain her lost splendor. The old, mammoth, unproductive industry was replaced by smaller, more enterprising activities; investments were made in advanced electronics and technology. Genoa changed her face as well as her symbols.
Today they are the Bigo, a large, futuristic building rising out of the water holding an elevator aloft, the work of Renzo Piano for the Old Port. Another symbol is the Aquarium, showing 6,000 animals of 600 different species in almost 10,000 square meters, one of Europe’s largest structures of its kind. The future is now. With Expo ‘92, during which Piano redeveloped 130,000 square meters of the Old Port transforming it into the city’s most avant-garde area, Genoa celebrated her reawakening.
As a City of Culture for 2004 she is confirming her status as one of Europe’s great cultural capitals.Liguria’s capital has been transformed under the direction of Germano Celant, curator at Guggenheim Museum in New York, into a crucible of cultural and architectural experimentation. No cultural field has been left unexplored, in the same way all areas of the city have been restored to a splendor more lasting than the duration of an exhibition.
Structural work includes the Old Museums Site, centered on Via Garibaldi, an old street lined with aristocrats’ residences in the sixteenth century, to the museum site at Parchi di Nervi, to the palaces at Polo della Darsena, as
Well as the most beautiful and important museums.
Genoa will move through culture like a creature moving through music and art, film and dance, performances for
Children, sea fairs, a special edition of the Suq or Peoples’ Bazaar: music concerts, dance lessons, foreign language courses and meetings on cultural integration (Old Port, June 1-15). Though Rubens, who lived in the city at different times, will take place of honor in the celebrations (over the year one hundred and eighteen exhibitions and as many meetings), there will be many others on great artists and movements, for example Chagall (Jewish Museum, April 5 to June 15). One exhibition will focus on silversmiths and goldsmiths in Genoa between the sixteenth and the eighteenth centuries, another on the life and the world of Leon Battista Alberti. Genoa’s year of culture will see a variety of events, ranging through all fields of artistic and cultural Endeavour, to satisfy the curiosity of millions of visitors. In the musical field too, people will move from a tango festival running through the city’s squares to a jazz festival at Golfo Paradiso, and from traditional genoese songs to classical music. People interested in talks will be able to choose from among various Nobel Prize Laureates, including the writers Günter Grass and José Saramago (Teatro dell’Archivolto, January through May). Other events will be dedicated to the sea.
The City of Children, for example, the largest play area in Italy, in the Old Port, will offer interactive games in which younger visitors will be able to play with three-dimensional reconstructed stage settings above and under sea level. The leading exhibition in this are will be one on ocean liners, at The National Museum of Antarctica: photographs, pictures and animation will illustrate in great detail the marine environment and other characteristics of the Antarctic habitat. The idea of the sea, however, is not just a temporary fad. March will see the inauguration of the Museums of the Sea and of Navigation, by the Spanish architect Guillermo Vasquez, and a year later the Dutchman Ben Van Berkel will restore the Parodi Bridge. These are important, monumental works as well as symbols of the subtle, ancestral relationship the Genoese have with the sea, the red thin line that still links, today and always, the city to history.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Greetings from Cyprus Airways
Perpetual Traveller Greetings from the air on board a Cyprus Airways flight CY from Larnaka - Rome (FCO) - Milan (MXP), which is a new double drop service. Who said that Business class is all but dead in Europe? Despite the fact the plane is a little tired, the food and service is really quite reasonable. Well done to state-owned Cyprus Airways who also bucked the Aviation trend in Europe by making a 2008 post tax profit of 1.7 million euro.
The Republic of Cyprus receives around 2.4 million tourists annually of which Cyprus Airways carries around 1 million making their aviation contribution critical to the country. Cyprus like all other Tourist destinations is apprehensive about the coming summer, as no one knows for sure how many in the western world will take a vacation in this widely reported year of gloom.
The Republic of Cyprus receives around 2.4 million tourists annually of which Cyprus Airways carries around 1 million making their aviation contribution critical to the country. Cyprus like all other Tourist destinations is apprehensive about the coming summer, as no one knows for sure how many in the western world will take a vacation in this widely reported year of gloom.
I’m bound for my Hotel room the security of which is the theme for Perpetual Traveller this week. Hotel Security is becoming an increasingly important consideration, especially in view of the unfortunate Mumbai attacks, so we dedicate this issue to top security tops. Meanwhile, the other thing we do not seem to be able to predict much in advance is the weather. Hypo Global features a fascinating common guide to Global Warming, which spells our in simple terms the main challenge of our age. La Dolce Vita offers an insight to Barcelona.
By Grant Holmes
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
