Features

by Jim Sajo, Polcenigo, Italy

Italy’s Piedmont region hides anonymously in the extreme northwest, nestled against France. Anonymity will be lost in February, however, when the capital and most important city, Turin (Torino), hosts the 2006 Winter Olympics. The Games give Turin an opportunity to shake its less-than-accurate “motor city” image. During many stops there over the past year, I found Turin enchanting and modern, regal and bohemian, elegant and raw, glorious and passionate....

CONTINUE READING »

by Roger Canfield, Contributing Editor

Seeing Macau’s more than 400-year-old European-style buildings is time travel accented by a 13-hour flight from Los Angeles. I saw newly restored evidence of Macau’s Portuguese and Chinese pasts: gothic, baroque, neoclassical and Chinese architecture plus modern and ancient art and exquisite exhibitions in many museums. Preserved are architectural landmarks of Christian missionaries, and Portuguese cuisine survives splendidly.

This old...

CONTINUE READING »

—by Carol Coverly, South Yarmouth, MA

Mid-August seemed like a good time of year to visit friends in Minsk. The weather was perfect during our 5-day stay in 2005.

Lufthansa was the only commercial airline with a daily flight into Minsk International Airport. The terminal, a half hour’s drive from the capital city, was undergoing renovations, which hopefully will make Minsk a more welcoming international destination.

Entry requirements

My husband and I were met...

CONTINUE READING »

—by Vernon Hoium, Minneapolis, MN

When the temperature in Minneapolis reached 14 degrees below zero, it was time to think of visiting a warmer climate. In January ’05, my wife and I flew from Minneapolis to Malta via London. We purchased two separate tickets for the trip, traveling to London on Northwest Airlines and from London to Malta with British Airways, allowing us to have a 3-day stopover in London on our return trip. (The airfare from London to Malta was only $200 for the 3-...

CONTINUE READING »

—Story and photos by Judith Anshin, Contributing Editor

Guatemala, after suffering years of civil war, is now beckoning. Peace accords were signed with the guerrillas in 1996, and they have held to today. In the hope of attracting more high-end travelers, new hotels have been built in the Flores/Tikal area, the airport is being upgraded, and Continental Airlines inaugurated two direct flights a week from Houston to Flores/Tikal.

To familiarize travelers with the “new”...

CONTINUE READING »

I continue to be amazed at the number of people who travel a lot and are still unaware of UNESCO’s designated World Heritage Sites. ITN readers are undoubtedly exceptions, yet there are many others who are not aware of the criteria used by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization for identifying the 812 properties currently designated as World Heritage Sites throughout the world.

The impetus for the formation of the program occurred in 1952 when Egypt...

CONTINUE READING »

by Ian McGary, Mountain View, CA

Continued from last month's "Incredible India — The North"

After saying good-bye to our Philadelphia travel companions with whom we toured North India, my husband, Chuck, and I flew from Mumbai to Kerala at the southwestern tip of the country. The next two weeks of our tour were customized for just my husband and me.

There were several places in South India that I specifically requested to visit, but we also asked Barbara Sansone of...

CONTINUE READING »

After Nancy Stott of Walnutport, Pennsylvania, asked readers to write about their experiences arranging around-the-world itineraries with airline alliances, we received a number of responses and printed several in last month’s issue. One reader took the task to heart, and we’re printing a portion of her letter here.

If you have anything to add on the subject, write to Flying Around the World, c/o ITN, 2116 28th St., Sacramento, CA 95818, or e-mail editor@intltravelnews.com (please...

CONTINUE READING »